Unplanned Consequences
by Alina Larin
Summary: Everybody knows that attack is the best form of defence. With the marriage law coming, Hermione Granger decides to strike first. Takes place during the 6th year, slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, which belong to JK Rowling.**

**Summary: Everybody knows that attack is the best form of defence. With the marriage law coming, Hermione Granger decides to strike first. Takes place during the 6****th**** year, slightly AU. **

****CoverArt by SusanMarieR from LiveJournal****

**Unplanned Consequences**

Chapter 1

It was the first week of her sixth year at Hogwarts when Hermione Granger stepped into the Headmaster's office.

"Good evening, Professor Dumbledore," she greeted the elderly wizard.

"Ah, Miss Granger, come in, come in! It's always good to see you. Lemon drop?"

When she shook her head, the Headmaster smiled at her over his half-moon spectacles, "How can I help you, my dear?"

Hermione took a deep breath. She had been preparing for this conversation for most of her summer holidays but she still felt nervous having to start it for real.

"I'd like to ask you a question, Sir," she said, willing her voice to sound calm and composed, "I would also like to request that you answer it with complete honesty without trying to protect my feelings or withhold information for any other reason."

If the Headmaster was surprised by her request it did not show. His relaxed attitude, however, disappeared in an instance as he straightened in his chair and gave a young witch a penetrating look.

"You must understand, Miss Granger," he replied seriously, "there are issues that I cannot discuss with you."

The witch forced herself to smile, "It's not that kind of question, Professor. It has nothing to do with the Order, or Harry. On the opposite, it's completely personal." She paused, looking at him, this time noticing his posture relaxing slightly. She waited for Dumbledore to nod his assent to her request and looked him in the eyes, "It's about the Marriage decree, Professor." She noticed the Headmaster frown and continued in a hurry, "It's not so much of an answer I am looking for so much as a confirmation. It is going to be a law, Sir, isn't it?"

"Miss Grange," Headmaster started.

"Please, Sir," the witch interrupted him, forgoing her usual politeness, "I am not that naive and I promise you, I am not about to become hysterical. But I've been reading anything I could find about it: all the polls and editorials. I know that _he_," she waved her hand knowing that she did not have to resort to 'You-Know-Who' in his presence, but not wanting to say the real name, "supports the law. Since he practically controls the ministry and judging by the members of the Wizengamot, I don't really see it_ not_ happening."

Her large brown eyes stared at him beseechingly and, for a moment, Dumbledore had an unfamiliar feeling of inadequacy.

"I am afraid so," he replied after a pause. "We are still fighting it but it's very difficult with the evidence available. The fact of the matter is that the wizarding world needs something like this, Hermione. There is no doubt about that. Too many squibs are being born to the old wizarding families. The only solution is to infuse their gene pool with an influx of new blood in order to produce magically powerful offspring. Even Tom Riddle recognises that. Of course, he had always championed Pureblood supremacy but as long as this law is done on his terms, he would support it. It would also aid him in winning the war; such a disruption would divert public attention from the fighting at hand and toward the marriage law. His followers will petition for the key members of the side of light like yourself, thus considerably weaken our cause."

He gave the young witch a kind smile, "You need not worry yourself, my dear, when the time comes we will find a way to protect you."

He expected the girl to give him a sad and grateful smile but was surprised to see none. Instead she straightened her shoulders and looked squarely in his face.

"This is what I wanted to talk to you about," she said in a quiet but determined voice. "I don't want to sit here and wait for the law to be passed before doing something. Instead, I want to take the matter into my own hands."

The elderly wizard gave her a quizzical look. Hermione took a deep breath and continued, "The law will only apply to unmarried witches or wizards. Therefore, if one is married already they would be out with its remit." She saw understanding dawn on her professor's face, "Sir, I would like to get married before the law is passed so that I could do it on my own terms and not the Ministry's."

Silence followed her words and she felt the full force of his wise blue eyes, the twinkling completely absent. After, what seemed to be, hours the Headmaster asked in a measured voice, "And who is the lucky wizard you had in mind, Miss Granger?"

His question was not wholly unexpected. After all, this was all-knowing Albus Dumbledore; she could count on him to see straight to the point. Part of her really did not want to go any further but she did not come all this way to turn back now. She took a deep breath and willed her voice to sound calm and even.

"I was thinking about Professor Snape."

This time even Dumbledore could not hide his surprise, his eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up. Then a deep frown creased his forehead.

"Professor Snape?" he repeated, "Miss Granger, please explain yourself."

Hermione forced herself not to flinch from his harsh tone, "As you wish, Professor." She paused mentally running through her rehearsed speech. "My thinking is as follows," she started, "First of all, I need to marry a wizard who will be part of the Order, so that he does not object to me helping Harry and remaining friends with him. This in turn, requires for the said wizard to live at Hogwarts since by the wizarding traditions, a wife could not reside away from her husband. These two conditions significantly narrow the number of candidates available. The obvious person would be, of course, Ron but..." here she paused and this time lowered her eyes to the floor.

"Both Harry and Ron are like brothers to me, Professor. We grew up together and even the thought of us as a husband and wife makes my stomach turn. In addition, I believe that Ron is harbouring some feelings for me, which would make the whole situation so much worse. For the same reason, I can't marry any of his brothers or Harry as it would completely break down the relationship in a way that _we_ cannot afford. Harry needs support from his friends, not added worries."

She lifted her eyes again and looked straight at Dumbledore. "If you add to the mix that my husband needs to be powerful enough to protect me yet also receive the approval of Voldemort, Professor Snape is the only rational option."

The Headmaster raised his eyebrows again, "And why do you expect Tom would approve such marriage?"

Hermione allowed herself a small smile, "But, of course, everybody knows how much Harry dislikes Professor Snape. If I marry him, Harry would stop trusting me and hence lose the brains behind the Golden Trio. You-Know-Who would be very pleased with such an outcome."

Her smile disappeared as she prepared herself for more questions, but none came. Albus Dumbledore was deep in thoughts and Hermione resorted to waiting patiently for his answer, but not before she delivered a final touch to her plan. "Please, Sir," her voice was soft but calm, "Professor Snape might also be a party to the law. Considering how important he is to our fight, and how precarious his position, it would be in the interests of the Order to make sure that he ends up with someone who can be trusted."

Three days later Hermione was summoned to the Headmaster's office after dinner. While she made her way to the gargoyle—her heart thumping loudly in her chest—she tried to prepare herself to whatever was to come. She did not regret her actions, but could not suppress the sinking feeling that settled deep in her heart after her conversation with Dumbledore.

Hermione was well aware that she was playing a dangerous game where the prize was—if not life or death—at least a life-time of happiness versus misery. There were no divorces in the wizarding world. A marriage meant literally 'til death do us part.' She was damned if she was going to let some bureaucrat in the Ministry, or worse Voldemort, make this decision for her.

Once the Gargoyle stopped moving, Hermione took a deep breath and tried to relax her muscles. She felt exhausted after being unable to sleep during the night, her head buzzing with all the scenarios of what might happen. She hoped that today she would get a decision either way so she may at least stop worrying about it. She knocked on the door and after hearing a muffled, "Enter," stepped into the office and froze on the spot.

Dumbledore was not in the room. Instead, she was greeted by Professor Snape, who stood next to a chair his black eyes focused on her and his face an expressionless mask.

"Miss Granger," he gave her a curt nod, "The Headmaster thought that it would be more appropriate if we met here."

His voice broke through Hermione's shock but she could not force herself to speak, or stop staring at him. She had never seen her professor like this. He had abandoned his usual teaching robes instead donning a set of dress robes adorned with a green hood with the trim embroidered with silver snakes. Hermione could only presume that these were his Head of Slytherin House ceremonial robes. Realising that she was still gaping at him she forced herself to nod her head in understanding.

For a moment they stood in silence, the Potions master seemed to study her, his dark eyes fixed on hers. They were glittering and she could not—did not want to—look away. It occurred to her that Snape's eyes were a perfect reflection of his soul: utterly mesmerizing and completely unattainable. They were a force to be reckoned with. He could control the classroom with a single sharp look, bend the wills of his students with a hard stare and keep everybody else at arm's length with a warning glare.

Through her years at Hogwarts there were a number of times that she experienced his glare but never in her life had his eyes been so focused on her without one of her friends sharing the weight. She willed herself to remain strong but with each passing minute it became harder and harder to maintain even a tiny veneer of composure.

She felt herself starting to shake and it seemed to be a sign for the dark wizard that he had unnerved her enough. "Miss Granger," Snape's voice was cold, "are you sure that your request to the Headmaster is really what you want? Have you thought this through at all?"

His eyes flared with a dangerous glimmer obviously aimed at reminding Hermione who stood in front of her.

The Gryffindor witch looked straight at the Potions Master—this was the question she was prepared for, "Yes, Professor. I have been thinking about it all summer and I would never have approached the Headmaster without being sure. All I am waiting for now is your decision."

Hermione was so focused on his eyes that she almost missed a change in his expression. It was so fleeting that she could not even begin to decipher it. "Very well then," Snape's voice was unusually soft. The glitter in his eyes disappeared and instead they became lifeless. He took a step towards her, "I, Severus Tobias Snape, request you, Hermione Jean Granger, to consent to be my bride and the mother of my children."

Hermione's world crashed around her. This was not what she had expected, not what she had prepared for. It was too easy, too soon. Never in a million years had she expected him to propose like this. Her brain could not process the meaning of this, the implications of such behaviour. A sinking feeling rose in her stomach and her heart thumped wildly in her chest, adrenaline flooding her bloodstream. Flight or fight? She could not flee now. She started this after all. Her voice shook terribly as she forced the words out of her mouth.

"I, Hermione Jean Granger," she gulped more air to stop herself from hyperventilating, "give my consent to you, Severus Tobias Snape, to become your bride and the mother of your children."

The moment her words died down, Snape took another step towards her and gracefully lowered himself on one knee. Later on, Hermione would silently thank Lavender and Parvati for their incessant interest in everything dealing with engagements and weddings. Listening to their continuous stories and chatter provided her with enough knowledge to recognise a traditional wizarding engagement ceremony and respond to it appropriately. For now, all she could do was stare transfixed at a dark wizard kneeling in front of her.

From the pocket of his robes he pulled a ring and Hermione forced herself to stretch her shaking hand. His long, warm fingers wrapped around her wrist as he slid a white-gold band on to her finger. The next moment, his lips touched the large round emerald encased in a nest of small diamonds. Moving on autopilot, she repeated his gesture and then kneeled in front of him. All that was left to do was for her to kiss him. The magic of the ring activated by his lips and strengthened by hers, would merge in the joint kiss and create an engagement document, which would arrive to the ministry and be authorized into a marriage license. Hermione lifted her face and looked straight into his unreadable face. She had never been so close to him. She could feel the heat of his body, could smell a spicy hint of cologne mixed with potions ingredients, and could see the tinniest lines around his mouth.

She desperately wished to be brave enough to look in his eyes but could not. Instead, she leaned and gently touched his lips with hers. The next moment a parchment appeared in thin air. Snape was already up, pulling out his wand. When he touched the scroll it disappeared with a quiet pop leaving the Potions Master holding a copy in his hand.

He pocketed the document and looked at the Gryffindor witch who was scrambling to get up as well. "Miss Granger, when I receive the license from the Ministry, I will let you know. I don't expect it to take longer than two weeks. I suggest that you start wedding preparations. Your Head of House will be able to assist you. I will provide Professor McGonagall with my Gringotts account details so you are able to charge your expenditure to it. Good day."

With that he strolled from the room without another look at the witch. Hermione stared at the closed door, thoughts and emotions reeling through her mind. She did not bother trying to organise them. There was only one important feeling that had permeated her heart and soul. It all had gone terribly wrong and she had no one to blame but herself. She knew that if she stayed in this office one more minute she would start sobbing like a child. Without bothering to wait for the Headmaster, she darted to the door, flew down the stairs, and ran as fast as she could to the Room of Requirement. That night when Hermione Granger returned to the Gryffindor common room, it was way past midnight and nobody was there to see her tear stricken face.

**I know that the marriage law has been done lots of times. This is my take on it. Hopefully it will be sufficiently different to be interesting. Reviews are as always very much welcome. **

**I would like to thank my beta KG613, who has now proof-read this chapter so I could resubmit it. **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Two weeks later found Hermione slowly going insane. She had cried herself to sleep the night after Snape's proposal and woke up the next day with a terrible headache which only got worse from the dread that seemed to inhabit her stomach.

The only slight relief came when she discovered there was an invisibility charm on her ring making it disappear the moment she was with other people. That allowed her to avoid questions from her fellow students and, outwardly, her life remained almost the same as it had been before the memorable night. However, there was one difference that made everything else unimportant.

Severus Snape did not look at her. Not in the Great Hall, not when she'd bumped into him in the corridors and not even in his own class. She still attended DADA since she was not told otherwise. And, though his teaching manner to the rest of the class had not changed one bit, he ignored her completely. The Potion's Master did not even bother to insult her or deduct points. When the class was over Hermione took her time to pack her bag but Snape simply set behind his desk marking essays without acknowledging her. It was as if she simply ceased to exist for him.

By end of the second week, Hermione was on her last tether. On Friday morning while she was at breakfast, one of the school owls brought her a note. It was written in a familiar slanting handwriting but in black instead of the usual red ink.

_Miss Granger,_

_I have received the marriage license from the Ministry. From now on you are dismissed from all DADA classes and will instead cover curriculum as an independent study under the supervision of the Headmaster. He will see you every second Monday after your last class._

_Please inform me when you set the date._

_S. Snape_

She lifted her eyes to the Head Table but he was not there. Hermione gritted her teeth. It was time to show her Gryffindor courage again. Luckily for her, DADA was the last class of the day and while she did not attend it, she made sure to be at the door when the rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins filed out of the classroom to start the weekend.

Hermione bravely made her way inside and was not surprised when Snape continued to scribble something on a piece of parchment, completely ignoring her presence. She purposefully approached his desk.

"Professor Snape," she forced her voice to sound calm.

"Miss Granger," he finished writing and, without looking up at her, started gathering his paperwork.

"We need to talk, Sir."

"Do we?"

He was not going to make it easy for her. Hermione sighed deeply trying to rein her rising temper. "Yes, we do," she exclaimed, "We are getting married—of course, we need to talk."

His movements stilled and for a second she thought he would continue to ignore her but then he raised his eyes and looked at her for the first time since his proposal. Hermione took an involuntary step back. In all her years at Hogwarts, she had never seen such burning rage in his gaze.

"I am surprised you want to talk now, Miss Granger," Snape's voice was deadly quiet but she knew him well enough to know that it would have been better if he had shouted. "After all, you did not have this need _before_ deciding to marry me."

"I…" Hermione stuttered, "Wait a minute, you were the one who proposed without even discussing it. I only went to the Headmaster to suggest it and…"

"And what, Miss Granger?" he interrupted her and Hermione stood close enough to see a vein pulsing on his temple. "What did you expect was going to happen after you so eloquently explained to the Headmaster that to ensure the success of the Order and the safety and happiness of the Chosen One, I had to marry you…."

Hermione just looked at him with wide eyes.

"Answer me…" he hissed.

"I thought," she started in a small voice and then forced herself to speak up, "I thought he would talk to you about it and then we could…" She trailed off, not sure what to say. Hermione knew that she had not spent enough time thinking through the potential consequences. It took so much of her time to plan her arguments and think about different questions she could be asked that she did not focus on what would happen if she got her way. She thought that if Dumbledore agreed, he would convince Snape that their marriage was a good idea. And then Snape would talk to her and together they would work things out.

The man in front of her sneered, "Five points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger. You are absolutely correct. He did talk to me." He paused and his lips twisted into a cruel smile, "He ordered me to propose to you and make sure that I hold my temper in check because," his voice became mocking, "we would not want to see the poor young girl unnecessarily distressed."

His taunting words made Hermione flinch but she remained quiet knowing that saying anything would only fuel his anger. Snape, in the meantime, continued obviously enjoying her discomfort, "The Headmaster also made sure that this marriage was discussed at the meeting of the Order so that anybody who had any concerns was able to express them freely. Let me assure you, it was a very lively gathering. I think they thoroughly enjoyed the show."

The way he practically spat the last words proved to Hermione that Snape was positively fuming from the memory of the meeting and she was not at all surprised. The dark wizard was the most private man she'd ever met, always staying in the shadows, protected by the armour of cold-hearted indifference. He had to be furious having his personal life on display for the whole of the Order.

"I did not know…" she started and then corrected herself, "I would never have wanted to force you…"

"Oh, spare me, Miss Granger," the Potions Master gave her a disdainful look, "if you did not want to force me then why did you go straight to the Headmaster instead of coming to me in the first place."

"That's not fair," Hermione cried out, "I went to the Headmaster because I knew you would not listen to me! And even if you had, you would have refused on the spot."

"And it would be my absolute right to do so," Snape snapped. "But this is beside the point. You knew I would refuse and still you went to the Headmaster. So don't tell me that you did not want to force me because your every action is a proof of the opposite."

Hermione felt tears welling in her eyes, "I did not think he would just order you," she whispered trying to regain control of herself, "I thought he would persuade you."

Snape rolled his eyes, "Are you that naïve, Miss Granger?" his tone was mocking but his smirk was bitter, "I thought that after the last year's events you would realise that the Headmaster was not an old man giving grandfatherly advice to those around him but an army general in times of war. Your idea provided him with a potential weapon and he did not hesitate to use it."

This time Hermione could not contain the tears that started running down her cheeks. Seeing this, Snape sighed and said in a measured voice, his blank mask firmly back, "It was decided that our marriage would form a very interesting precedent that, if successful, could be used to protect other key members of the Order. You'd be delighted to know that I was ordered to report regularly on our progress. So I suggest that you start planning the wedding. As I said before, Professor McGonagall will be able to assist you. She has access to my account at Gringotts. As I'm the Head of the Slytherin House, we will be married at Hogwarts. Pick a date. Send invitations. Make whatever other arrangements are necessary." His lips twisted into his trademark sneer but his eyes remained dull, "You don't have to fret, I'm not going to run away and leave you standing at the altar." Without another look at her, he gathered his papers and disappeared into a side door.

**Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. They really help to keep the inspiration up. I hope you enjoy the second chapter and reviews are very welcome.**

**Big thanks to my beta KG-613 for her help…THANK YOU.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

That night Hermione could not sleep. After her conversation with Snape, she told the boys she had a headache and skipped the dinner. In her dorm she drew the curtains around her bed and put a silencing spell on it. She thought she would have a good cry but tears did not come. Instead she lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, her brain trying to process the situation.

Her summer plan had backfired spectacularly and the most horrible part of it was that it was working perfectly. She was going to get exactly what she set out to. Unfortunately, the devil was as usual in the detail. Hermione hit her pillow with a fist in frustration. Oh, what a mess. She just wanted to be safe: safe from this marriage law, safe from the world. She wanted to stop feeling so damn powerless, to have some control over her destiny. She did not think that it would come at such cost…

XXX

Severus Snape was woken up by a feeling of intrusion on his wards. Somebody was trying to break them, without much success, but the potions master could feel the pressure on his magic. Cursing, he got out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe that was haphazardly thrown on the back of a chair. During this time he could feel that the intruder managed to break through one of the outer weaker wards. The little chit...

He had a good idea of who that might be. Another Hogwarts teacher would have simply used the floo. His Slytherins would have contacted him through a portrait. So that left only one person who would want to speak to him at one in the morning.

He flung the door open already knowing that he would see his head-strong fiancé on the other side. "Miss Granger, what do you think you are doing?"

The Gryffindor witch seemed to not have heard him or more likely chose to ignore him, and simply ducked under his hand and marched straight into his classroom.

"We need to talk, Professor Snape."

"Again?" Snape did not even bother to contain his sarcasm. "Miss Granger, if you are so insistent on making yourself cry, could you do it within daylight hours?"

Hermione shook her head, determined not to let him get to her, "I am not planning on crying, Sir." Without waiting for him to answer, she continued, "I have been thinking, Professor, and firstly, I want you to know that I am truly sorry for my actions and the situation I had put you in. I hope you would believe that I never meant to force you into marrying me. However, I realise that I have made a terrible mistake and therefore I would do my utter best to rectify it. I will speak to Professor Dumbledore tomorrow and explain to him that it was desperation on my part to choose you and that since then I had time to reconsider, and would prefer to marry Ron. I am sure that he would be more than happy to release you from this duty."

The moment the word left her mouth, Hermione found herself pressed against the wall with Snape's face right in front of her. His expression was murderous.

"You would do no such thing," he hissed, "you little idiotic Gryffindor, or are you so desperate to emasculate me further than you have already?"

Hermione's eyes widened, "Of course not, Sir," she croaked, "I only wish to make you free from this."

In response Snape laughed but it was such a hollow, humourless sound, that it made Hermione tremble, "Miss Granger, even with all your self-righteous, Gryffindor belief in yourself, you must be intelligent enough, to realise that I cannot be freed by you. I am serving two masters at the same time. Nothing you do, would release me from this." His face hardened and his grip on her tightened, "And you are not going to compromise my position with your foolishness."

Seeing the lack of understanding in her eyes, he sighed in annoyance. "Think, Miss Granger, use this renowned brain of yours. Do you think the Headmaster is the only one who knows about this engagement? Do you think that it would have been approved by the Ministry if my other master had not given his consent?"

Understanding dawned on Hermione and she looked at him in alarm. "Oh, God, what did Vol…"

"Do not say his name," Snape's warm hand closed over her mouth, "I don't care what Dumbledore and Potter say. You will never use his name in front of me, is that clear?"

The only thing the young witch could do was nod. It seemed to be enough and he released her taking a step back. He turned away from her and said in his usual cold tone. "Miss Granger, I have spent a week convincing the Dark Lord that this marriage would be advantageous for him. If the engagement is broken now, he would view it as my personal failure." He paused for a mere second as if looking for the right words and his voice dropped slightly, "It is not something that I cherish to experience."

His words made Hermione shiver and she could not stop herself from asking. "Did he…" her voice broke, "did he torture you?"

"And why do you care, Miss Granger?" the dark wizard turned to her again.

Hermione's heart fell and she felt sick. Oh, God, what had she done? She would never-ever forgive herself that he was tortured because of her.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, girl," Snape moved and was again standing closer to her, handing her a handkerchief. "The Dark Lord does not go round constantly torturing his servants. He's a Slytherin. There are much better ways of keeping Death Eaters in check than putting them under Cruciatus all the time."

Relief flooded through her and she could not contain herself anymore. Hermione flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. "I am sorry," she cried not carrying for the moment that she was pressed against his almost naked torso, "I am so-so sorry, Professor. I was so selfish… I did not think… I…"

Snape did not hug her back, his hands firmly remaining by his sides but he did not pull away from her nor did he berate her instead remaining quiet. This silence forced Hermione to calm down quicker than she probably would have done otherwise.

She also became aware that for the first time in her life she was touching her husband-to-be. It was certainly a revelation. She had always known that Snape was tall but it was always difficult to decipher what he was hiding underneath his voluminous robes. Now she knew for sure that he had a solid lean figure without an ounce of fat but well defined, proportionate muscles. His upper chest was hair free and marble white and his shoulder length hair that brushed her fingers was silky soft and completely free of grease. He smelled the same as on the night of his proposal and radiated heat like a simmering cauldron.

These discoveries made Hermione blush deep crimson, a strange tagging feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. She pulled away from him and dared a look at his face. Snape's expression was again unreadable and she hurried to lower her eyes.

"I will go now, Professor," she said quietly, "I am sorry to disturb your sleep."

He nodded, "That would be best, Miss Granger. Could I trust that you are finished with your adolescent behaviour and would spend your time usefully on wedding arrangements instead of coming up with more dangerous and idiotic plans?"

Hermione's face turned even redder mostly from humiliation but also from a degree of anger. The man was simply incorrigible. "Yes, Professor," she replied curtly, "I will try my best not to make you hate me anymore than you already do."

"Good," he replied. "Good night, Miss Granger."

His cold response made her tears reappear and Hermione whirled around trying to hide them. She was at the door when he spoke again.

"Before you get yourself into another frenzy of tears, Miss Granger, let us be clear. I do not hate you, witch, but it would take me a while to think of you as anything else but annoying and meddling child."

**Again thank you for the wonderful reviews, they mean a lot to me. This is a fairly short chapter and the interaction is something to be expected. The next one should bring more surprises. As always, your comments are very welcome. **


	4. Chapter 4

_Previously - "Miss Granger, let us be clear. I do not hate you, witch, but it would take me a while to think of you as anything else but annoying and meddling child."_

Chapter 4

Next morning found Hermione in a swirl of action. After getting back to her dormitory, she spent most of the night trying to recover from his last comment. Her face burnt with shame and annoyance at his words. He viewed her as "annoying and meddling child". She had never been so offended in her life - even when he insulted her teeth in the fourth year. Deeply she knew that her anger was mostly caused by the fact that this time he had been right. She did something really stupid and hadn't thought through the consequences. But she was going to show him… She was going to prove him wrong, that she was not a child but a woman who would make a good wife.

Her first action was to see Professor McGonagall. She managed to catch her Head of House before breakfast and agreed to meet with her after classes. By the time it was curfew, she had three long lists of things to consider, to buy and to arrange. She also had sent an owl to Professor Snape with a suggested date that was six weeks away. While her letter to him was brief, his reply was an epitome of succinctness. It had only one word. "_Acceptable_."

Now that she had her to-do lists, Hermione felt much more in her element. On Saturday morning she made her way to Madam Malkin's branch at Hogsmeade to look at wedding gowns. Professor McGonagall could not join her and Hermione decided to start herself. Malkin's shop was very busy and after pointing Hermione to a small section of bridal wear, the manager moved away to service her other clients.

The Gryffindor witch made her way through two rows of wedding gowns and robes, feeling herself getting lost in the myriad of fabrics and designs. She wanted to look good on her wedding day. She needed to look good - to look like a woman, not a child that her husband-to-be referred to.

"You won't find what you are looking for here," a woman's voice interrupted Hermione's thoughts.

The young witch whirled around and froze. In front of her in all her aristocratic glory stood Narcissa Malfoy.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione's hand clenched around her wand.

The older woman smirked, "I am here to help you pick your wedding dress."

"What?" Hermione's eyes widened, "How do you even…" she started, but then realisation dawned on her and her face hardened, "Of course," she said coldly, "you would have heard it at…"

But Narcissa interrupted her by casually waving her hand, "Whatever you might think of me, Miss Granger, I am not a Death Eater, I never was one and I don't attend the meetings that the Dark Lord holds. My source of information is a lot closer to home. Severus told me."

Hermione's eyes narrowed, "And why would he do that?" she asked warily.

For a moment the older witch observed her with cool haughtiness and then, to Hermione's surprise, rolled her eyes. "I've known Severus since he was eleven and I was thirteen. Old friends tend to share this sort of news with each other."

Hermione mentally kicked herself, she knew that Snape and the Malfoys were friends. After all, the Potions master was Draco's godfather. Meanwhile, the older woman continued in a light tone as if she was discussing the latest fashion with a long-term friend, "And this brings us to this moment. You are going to marry Severus Snape and I am here to ensure that you are adequately prepared for your role as his bride, which includes picking a proper wedding gown for you and also enlightening you on a few things you need to know."

Her words snapped Hermione out of her thoughts. This was unexpected. When Narcissa first mentioned helping her pick a wedding dress, Hermione thought that it was just an excuse to spit insults at her. But judging by a serious demeanour of the Malfoy's matriarch, she was really planning on assisting Hermione with her wedding preparations. Suspicion immediately arose in the young Gryffindor, "And why are you being so helpful?" she asked carefully.

In response, Narcissa gave her a condescending look, "And I thought, Gryffindors supposed to be all trusting," she muttered pulling out a wand. Before Hermione could do or say anything, the older witch pointed it to her own heart, "I, Narcissa Black Malfoy, give wizarding oath that I wish no harm to Hermione Jean Granger and only want to help in her preparation for the wedding with Severus Snape. I swear that no harm will come to Hermione Granger, Severus Snape and their marriage through my actions and intentions."

She then pocketed her wand and looked at the brown haired witch. "Is this sufficient Miss Granger?"

The young Gryffindor could not hide her utter disbelief. The whole scene looked like something from a bizarre dream but giving herself a discreet pinch did not results in Hermione waking up in her own bed.

"This does not make any sense," the young girl muttered trying to quench the complete disarray of thoughts running through her head. "Why do you even want to help me?" she questioned, "I can't imagine that you are all that keen on me marrying him."

This time Narcissa's lips twisted into a real Slytherin smirk, which was an unnerving mixture of Snape's and Draco's. "No matter, what you think about Slytherins, Miss Granger, you must know by now that we take care of ourselves and our own. Severus is the Head of the Slytherin House at Hogwarts. This is a highly respectable position in the wizarding world, since he's the one shaping our children and therefore our future. He comes from the old and powerful Prince family and no Slytherin would want to see him being humiliated because his Muggle-born bride does not look or behave as she ought to." Her smile disappeared and her pale blue eyes bored into Hermione,

"Now," her tone became all business, "You will tell Minerva McGonagall that you wish to go to Paris for your wedding dress. There you will visit the salon of Mônsenior Duvales. He will be expecting you and will provide you with a gown, lingerie and all other clothes you will need. On the day of your wedding, I will send you my house elf and she will fix that dreadful hair of yours. Now the only other thing you need to buy is a wedding gift for Severus. I will not interfere in that, it should be your choice - but please don't buy him a book. For one, he would probably already have it, and secondly, you want to show him that you view him as a man, not a Potions master."

During this bombardment of instructions, Hermione's confusion was quickly being replaced by annoyance and by the end she could not contain herself any longer. "Is that all?" she asked not even trying to hide the sarcasm in her tone. "Or should I get a parchment and quill to take notes?"

Narcissa surveyed her with calm confidence, "Please, Miss Granger, irony does not suit you so leave it to your husband-to-be." Not letting Hermione utter a word, she continued breezily. "If the situation had been different, Miss Granger, I would have spent the next six weeks tutoring you in everything a witch in your position should know. Since this is not an option, I will have to rely on that brain of yours that everybody goes on about."

With these words she picked up her bag that looked deceptively tiny and pulled out of it three books. "These are from the Black's library and contain my personal notes," the older witch explained. "The first book is about household magic. It not only contains relevant spells but also describes wizarding customs and traditions. The second one is devoted to the history of the key pureblood families in Britain. And the third…" here the blond witch stopped and her blue eyes bored into the young girl's face.

"This is probably the most important advice I can give you regarding your husband-to-be and if you ignore everything else I say, please listen to this. Severus Snape is not a man who trusts easily and he's even worse when it comes to the matters of heart. He's been hurt before and not going to make himself willingly vulnerable to anybody. Which means you will have to make the first step and, probably, the second and third too.

I would suggest that you start by picking a suitable wedding ceremony. Something that would show your complete trust in him," here Narcissa handed her the last book she was holding. It was a small leather bound tome which looked worn out by many years of use. "I've marked here the one that I thought would fit. It will be your first step towards making Severus trust you. The second step is to be completely honest with him. Don't try to hide things from him, especially not your feelings or the fact that you truly care about his wellbeing. He would soon find out anyway, Severus is a very powerful Legilimens and even without reading your thoughts he'd know you are hiding something." Here Narcissa paused and Hermione got a distinct feeling that the older witch was fighting to retain her cool demeanour. When she spoke again, her voice was a lot softer and quieter, as if she had to force the words out.

"The last and probably most difficult step to achieve is that if you want him to return your feelings, you need to show him that he does not have to fear rejection on your part. Only then, when he knows that you accept and love him unconditionally, will he allow himself to love you back."

These were not the words that Hermione would have ever expected to come out from the mouth of Narcissa Malfoy. The young Gryffindor caught herself that she was gaping like a fish at the older witch and forced her eyes to focus on the book she was now holding. Opening it on the marked page, she skimmed through the description of a wedding ritual and started reading the vows making sure to take in every word. It was a beautiful ceremony but when she reached the end of it her interest turned to disbelief. "But this…this is archaic," she spluttered looking at the other woman in total bewilderment. "It's worse than the muggle vow "to obey". I can't believe anybody would do it nowadays."

The smirk on Narcissa's face made Hermione's tirade seize. She did not like that smirk: it was too smug, "But, Miss Granger," the woman's voice reminded a young witch of the silk tones of her Potions Professor, "we both know that you are not just anybody. You are an overachieving Gryffindor and you would never risk failure, not at something as important as your marriage to Severus Snape."

For a moment the two women stared at each other but before the Gryffindor girl could ask one of the millions of questions milling her mind, Narcissa disapparated leaving Hermione with a whiff of rather unusual and undoubtedly expensive perfume and a feeling that she had just been a subject of a very cruel joke or a turn of fate.

**Thank you all for the great reviews. There are some really good suggestions and comments in there, which help me plan further chapters. By the way, I am looking for a beta, so if you'd like to be one, let me know. Enjoy the chapter and reviews, as always, are very welcome.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Three days' time found Hermione in her Gryffindor dorm, lying on the bed with drawn up curtains and staring at the ceiling. It seemed to be her constant occupation these days. Though she still dutifully completed her homework, she lost the usual interest in her studies instead spending most of the time thinking about how her life was changing.

After the conversation with Narcissa Malfoy, Hermione spent the rest of the day and the whole night analysing every word that had been said. She desperately wanted to talk to somebody about it but she could not think of anyone suitable. The obvious candidate would be Snape but after her two encounters with him, she did not feel like trying again so soon. Plus she could not really tell him most of what Narcissa had said. Going to McGonagall was out of the question as well since she would simply tell Hermione to ignore the advice she had received.

The Gryffindor witch looked through the three books Narcissa had given her and found them very useful, especially the scribbled notes that marked most of the pages. They were made in a beautiful, almost calligraphic handwriting and were insightful and often funny - not something that she would have expected from Draco's mother.

It also opened her eyes into the pureblood society in Britain and she was fascinated to read about the family history of so many of her classmates. The book was written fairly recently, to the point that it did contain information about Sirius being disinherited by the Black family.

And, of course, there was a chapter about the Princes that she had read so many times she could quote it almost by heart. Her conclusion was that Snape was a perfect incarnation of a Prince heir since they were all arrogant, snarky and loved dark arts, especially dark potions. They were also very pureblood and stinky rich.

With great interest Hermione read about Eileen Prince being disinherited for marrying a muggle and about her only brother, who married his pureblood cousin. This marriage did not end well. Unable to produce a magical heir, Lady Prince committed suicide. Her husband died ten years later after trying to apparate while being completely drunk. He splinched himself in so many places that the Healers could not save him. Shortly after Severus Snape, the son of Eileen and Tobias Snape, was named an heir to the title and fortune. Judging by the dates it was done not long before the downfall of Voldemort and Hermione figured out that he had something to do with convincing the pureblood family to accept his loyal Death Eater back into the family fold.

This information made some things a lot clearer to her. For example, she understood Snape's insistence that she charged all her expenses to his account. It also explained the huge ring that was adorning her finger, it was traditional ring of the Prince family, passed from one heir to another. Unfortunately this knowledge did not help her with the main dilemma, whether she should listen to Narcissa's advice or not.

A large part of Hermione was wary of trusting a Malfoy, especially with something as important as her marriage. But on the other hand, so far Narcissa was the only person offering her any type of help. Of course, McGonagall was there but the young witch could not shake the feeling that her Head of House was not thrilled about the upcoming marriage of her prized student and the Potions master. The Transfiguration Professor did not hide her concern regarding what such union would do to the school's reputation and though she did not express any direct displeasure, the young witch could feel that McGonagall was only helping her because of Dumbledore's orders or a request from Snape or perhaps a mixture of both.

These thoughts and worries plagued Hermione's mind during the waking hours and when she finally managed to fall asleep her dreams were full of black eyes, pale skin, running and evil laughter. What did not help was that she was acutely aware that she had another task to face shortly, which was telling her friends about her impending marriage. Though she would have liked to delay it as much as possible, she knew that if she did not tell them, they would find out from somebody else. She was already surprised that the news of her upcoming nuptials had not leaked out and was not gracing the front pages of the Prophet.

In any case, it would not be long and that was why Hermione reluctantly dragged herself from her bed and went downstairs. Earlier she saw Harry heading off to Hagrid's hut while Ron had a detention with McGonagall and the young witch was planning to catch her messy haired friend on his way back.

She had considered talking to the two boys together, but decided against it. Ron would, no doubt, fly of the handle adding his hurt feelings to the mix. Harry would also, most certainly, fly off in a rage but she felt she had better chances of reasoning with him since the matters of the heart were not involved.

Hermione patiently waited for Harry to make his way to the little court yard outside the entrances to the castle. She stepped forward once he was nearly there.

"Hi Harry, did you have a good time at Hagrid's?"

The green-eyed wizard smiled at her, "Hi Hermione, I am glad you decided to come out of your dormitory. Ron and I were worried about you, since you seem to spend all your time in there. We were thinking maybe you were mad at us about something."

Hermione smiled and waved her hand, "Nothing like this, Harry. Just a lot on my mind…"

"Anything you'd like to share?" the Boy-Who-Lived grinned at her and she felt herself blush, which he took as embarrassment while in reality it was mostly shame that coloured her face.

"Yeah," she muttered and motioned him into the court yard. Harry's smile disappeared as he took in her serious face.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately concerned for his friend.

"Nothing is wrong, Harry," she hurried to calm him. "I just want to talk to you about something," she paused gathering her courage and then decided that it was better to just get straight to the point. "I am getting married."

Harry's jaw dropped, "You are what?" he asked incredulously.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You've heard me, Harry. I am getting married, in just under six weeks." Seeing his puzzled expression, she hurried to continue. "You know that the marriage law is coming. I spoke about it with Dumbledore and he confirmed that it's going to happen. There is nothing he can do. Everybody wants it: the Wizengamot, the Ministry and even You-Know-Who. So I decided to take some…um… pre-emptive measures." At her words, the Gryffindor wizard frowned, but Hermione did not let him interrupt her, "Listen to me, Harry, if I am married by the time the law is passed, then I won't be part of it. It would only apply to single witches and wizards. That means that I can not only choose my own husband but also avoid being a subject to a ministerial contract. And so the Ministry would not be able to monitor and control my private life." She paused and looked straight into his face trying to convey her conviction, "I talked about it with Dumbledore and he agreed that it would be the safest way forward."

Harry's expression was still troubled, but he seemed to have taken in what she had said. "So who are you going to marry then?" he asked.

"Here it comes," Hermione mentally braced herself.

"He's a member of the Order," she started, "and Dumbledore already discussed it with him and others." She paused and seeing Harry's eyes becoming suspicious, blurted out, "I am marrying Professor Snape."

Harry's face turned red, "What?" he snapped. "Hermione, are you fucking kidding?"

The Gryffindor witch blanched, she had never heard always so polite Harry use such crude language.

"Listen to me, Harry," she pleaded, "I know you don't like him but this is the only way. You-know-who won't let me marry just anybody. If I was to pick Ron or Neville, the Ministry would never approve it and even if they did, it would be like painting a bulls-eye on their foreheads. My marriage to Snape was accepted by everybody. It also keeps me at Hogwarts, continuing my education and close to you so I could help you. How many other wizards that you know, live in this school, won't mind me helping you and also are viewed as loyal to Voldemort?"

Her last words made Harry's face twist into a grimace, "That is exactly the problem, Hermione," he cried out, "he is loyal to Voldemort, how is that a good thing?"

"He is loyal to Dumbledore," Hermione corrected him, trying to hide her rising irritation, "and that's what matters." He was about to object but she did not let him, "No, Harry," she raised her hand, "I know you don't like him but I am not going to argue with you again about Professor Snape's loyalties. He saved us plenty of times and it's time you grew up and gave up your silly prejudice. Yes, he's often a complete bastard and yes, he hates Gryffindors in general and you in particular. But it does not change the fact that he's trusted by Dumbledore."

"Well, Dumbledore can trust him all he wants," Harry retorted bitterly. "Hell, he trusts everybody. But I know better than that. Snape is an evil two-faced snake, he's a reason Sirius is dead."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Harry," Hermione did not bother to hide her anger any longer. "Give this up already. Sirius was a big boy and made his own decisions. He was the one who decided to follow you to the Department of Mysteries, nobody did it for him."

The Boy-Who-Lived opened his mouth to interrupt her but she was having none of it. "No, Harry, I know everything you are going to say. By God, we've been through this enough times. But what you need to realise that we are at war, it's already going all around us, right at this very moment. And it's time for some hard choices to be made." She gave him a defiant look, "What would you say, if I told you that the reason Voldemort has approved my marriage is that he's convinced that you hate Snape so much that you would stop being friends with me because of it." Her lips twisted into a bitter smile as she continued, "He feels that this would be a great way to weaken you and is worth having one of his Death Eaters marry a mudblood."

Her words had an effect of a lightning strike as Harry's face turned green and he looked like she had just punched him in the stomach. "That's not true," he whispered looking at her frantically.

His reaction made her anger dissipate and she continued in a calmer voice. "Unfortunately, it is, Harry. So the decision you have to make is whether you are going to let him be right but sticking to your hatred of Snape or you are going to get one over this snake-faced bastard by dealing with the situation like an adult?"

With these words she cancelled the glamour on her hand and stuck her ring finger into his face. For a moment the Boy-Who-Lived simply stared at the ring with an open mouth. Then he snapped it shut and looked at his friend in disbelief. These few seconds were enough for Hermione to lose her anger completely. "Please, Harry," she whispered, "just trust me on this one..." Her eyes looked at him pleadingly, "It is already hard enough for me. It's not like Snape and I are marrying out of love. And I can't bear to think that you are also angry with me."

She paused trying to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. Part of her really wanted to tell Harry about everything that happened since Snape's proposal. About his fury at being forced to marry her and Narcissa's offer of help. But she could not do it. Snape would never forgive her if she told Harry what had transpired between them.

Harry's heart fell. He could never bear to see Hermione cry, it broke his heart. Maybe it was because she very rarely cried in front of him or maybe because she was the only one who had never abandoned him, not even in forth year when him and Ron weren't talking. Without thinking he pulled Hermione into a hug and she clung to him, properly sobbing now.

"Sssh, Hermione, it's OK. I am not angry at you; surprised and concerned-yes. But you know I can't be mad at you…"

"What a touching display," a silky voice was quiet but both Hermione and Harry jumped apart startled. A tall lanky figure of their potion's master was looming next to them, his expression murderous.

"Professor," Hermione started but his glare forced her into silence.

"Mr Potter, you will proceed to the castle. Twenty points from Gryffindor for fraternizing in public. Miss Granger, you will come with me," without another word he swept towards the entrance.

Harry and Hermione exchanged looks, his-angry, hers-worried, and then she rushed after the dark wizard. "Hermione!" Harry called after her but she only turned to him to resolutely shake her head and disappeared inside.

**Hi All. Here is the next chapter. Hopefully you'll enjoy it. Reviews are very-very welcome.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Snape did not slow his pace as he all but flew down to the dungeons and Hermione had to sprint to keep up with him. Once they reached his classroom, the door burst open and the moment she was inside it slammed loudly behind her. The dark wizard waved his hand and the room was locked and silenced, however the young witch did not have time to dwell on this impressive display of wandless wordless magic because the next moment he was in front of her, his face full of cold fury.

"What the hell, do you think you are doing, Miss Granger?"

Hermione gave him a puzzled look, "I…" she started, "I told Harry about our engagement. I did not think it was a secret."

The next moment she felt his hand grab her shoulder as he pushed her non too gently onto a chair, "Are you counting me as a fool, Miss Granger or a blind idiot?" he hissed and Hermione could again see a vein pulsing in his temple. His dark eyes glittered dangerously and she felt herself being trapped by his gaze as a prey in front of a cobra. "You were embracing him!" he spat in her face, "in broad daylight, in the middle of Hogwarts!"

His accusatory words snapped her out of her stupor. She felt confusion rising in her mixed with irritation, "He's my friend," she cried out, "I was upset and he comforted me. What's wrong with that?"

For a second she thought Snape might hit her but then he took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, "For Merlin's sake, Miss Granger, please tell me that Professor McGonagall told you about wizarding courting customs or at least gave you a bloody book?"

Hermione's mind clicked and she paled. Indeed, McGonagall had mentioned this and it was also in one of the books that Narcissa had given her. The young girl even laughed when she read about this tradition deeming it too archaic to be taken seriously.

The book claimed that once a witch was engaged she had to keep herself completely pure until the wedding night avoiding any physical contact with opposite sex with an exception of blood relatives and her fiancé. After a marriage was consummated the rules relaxed and did not apply at all after a birth of the first child.

"But this is medieval!" she exclaimed outraged. "It's the end of the twenties century, there could be no reason to follow such practices."

Snape gave her a contemptuous look, "And the wizarding world is a shining beacon of forward thinking and enlightenment," he did not bother to hide his sarcasm. "Give it up, Miss Granger, you are a muggle-born witch, you couldn't have _not noticed_ how conservative this world is. Wizarding marriage ritual still uses blood magic because we are too scared to change it in case it would affect magical abilities of our off-springs."

The young witch looked at him with wide eyes. Though she read about the tradition in Narcissa's books, the reasons behind it were complete news to her. Seeing her confused face, Snape rolled his eyes and continued with his explanation easily falling into his usual lecturing mode.

"The wedding ceremony," the dark wizard spoke in his professorial tone, "is set to tunnel the couple's natural powers towards each other in order to form a marital bond that is sealed during a consummation, thus creating a foundation for conception of children. The engagement period, which usually lasts between three and nine months, is used for a bride and a groom to tune their magic to each other. Therefore it is paramount that the magical aura of a witch is as pure as possible."

"Why only a witch?" Hermione asked trying to ignore her flaming cheeks.

This time Snape looked genuinely puzzled, "Because it is a witch who will carry a child and ultimately determine his or her power."

Hermione forgot all about her embarrassment and just started at him, "You mean," she started, "that it's a woman who determines whether a child is magical or not?"

Snape waved his hand dismissively, "It's not that simplistic. Of course, both parents contribute towards whether a child is magical or not, the rules of genetics are the same for both muggles and wizards. Close relatives or families that have cross-bread too often are more likely to produce children with birth defects be it physical deformities or lack of magical abilities and both parties are at fault. However, if a child is magical, the level of natural power depends on a mother much more than a father. That's why most of the magically powerful half-bloods born to families with one muggle parent have witch-mother and muggle father, not the other way around."

Hermione contemplated his words for a moment. She had never heard about this and her mind was rushing to process the information and analyse potential implications. "Professor, I still don't understand how me being with another male could possibly contaminate my aura." she asked carefully.

Snape's face hardened as his lips thinned. However, he seemed to hold his temper in check this time as he spoke again, "Being in physical contact with another male provides a chance for a witch to foster affections, however fleeting and even subconscious, to someone other than her intended. This could lead to her being sexually out-of-tune or unresponsive to her husband and in turn create problems with conception or produce a magically weak child. That's why love and lust potions make a significant part of fertility tonics."

Hermione looked at him horrified. "Oh, God," she whispered… "I never knew this. So that's how…" Snape did not let her continue.

"I have no intentions of drugging you, Miss Granger," his words were clipped, and his face turned into a blank mask. "First of all, I am not planning on having any children in the near future and secondly…" he paused and Hermione looked at him expectantly. The black eyes glimmered and this time his gaze locked with hers and held. Almost against her will, Hermione felt herself being drawn into the black depth, it was like he was pulling her in, hypnotizing her, forcing her so submit to his will.

The room around her faded into nothingness and then she could feel his gaze travel ever so slowly down to her lips, making her want to part them and lick sudden dryness. She caught herself doing just that when his eyes moved lower caressing her neck and then stopping consecutively on her breasts, her belly before slowly sliding down her legs.

When he finally made his way back to her eyes, Hermione felt as if the chilly air of the dungeon suddenly turned into a sauna as her body burnt with need she had never felt in her life.

Then he spoke, his voice - pure velvet, "Trust me, witch, I would not need to use potions to make you want me." Just as suddenly as this onslaught began, his eyes released her and he turned away from her.

"And until that time you will make sure to keep waggling tongues at bay and behave as you ought to as my bride."

Such quick change of topic unsettled her greatly. Her body was still thumping and she struggled to regain her control. "But I am always with Harry and Ron," Hermione whispered hating her breathy voice.

His lips twisted into a scowl and the young witch regretted ever mentioning their names. "Then I suggest you make sure that you are not _alone_ with them."

Before she could object he spoke again, "Might I remind you, Miss Granger," his drawl made her tows curl, "that it was you who wanted to marry me. How do muggles say it? I've made my own bed and I now I have to lie in it?" He coked his head and surveyed her with a calculating look. "For you it means not spending any time alone with any male unless you have a female accompanying you. You will not hug, hold hands or even touch another man or boy, not in class or outside of it. Do I make myself clear?"

Hermione felt tears brimming in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Not wanting him to hear her, no doubt, quivering voice, she simply nodded.

Seemed to be satisfied with that Snape took a step back and waved his hand at the door, "You are dismissed Miss Granger."

She fled without another word.

xxx

Hermione spent the rest of the evening cooped up in her dorm. She knew she was being weak but she could not force herself to face other students. She felt that her life had completely spiraled out of control. And she had no one else to blame but herself, though the tiny petulant voice inside her head, told her that Dumbledore with his twisting meddling and Snape with his cruel indifference were certainly not helping the situation.

The worst of it all was that she was not sure what to do now. Cancelling the wedding was not an option, so the only choice left was to proceed with it. And it looked like Narcissa Malfoy was one person who was able and willing to help her.

Hermione's thoughts were interrupted when a familiar voice called to her from behind the curtains around her bed.

"Hermione, you've missed dinner." Ginny said, "I brought you a sandwich and I am not leaving until you eat it."

Sighing resignedly, Hermione opened the curtains and saw the redhead standing by her bed.

"Thanks, Ginny," she muttered taking a plate of food from the younger girl's hands.

"No worries, Hermione," her friend sat down next to her. For a second she just watched Hermione eat and then cast a quick silencing spell around them. "Harry is very worried about you," she said quietly. "He wanted me to tell you that he'd be waiting for you in the common room once everybody had gone to bed."

At this Hermione almost chocked on her food. Her face must have betrayed her unease because Ginny gave up any pretense, "Look, Hermione, I tried to be patient and not bug you with questions, but I can't do it anymore. What's going on?" she asked her face turning anxious. "And don't tell me that nothing is happening. I know you and you've been acting all weird in the last couple of weeks. Most people would not notice, I mean you do your homework and you are still top of the class, but it's different from before. It's like you all over sudden have lost real interest in your studies and instead are spending most of the time thinking about something else."

She gave Hermione an imploring look but seeing as the older girl did not say anything, sighed, "Come on, Hermione, even if you were able to deny this until today, I can tell that something is happening and that Harry knows. He's rubbish at hiding his emotions and I can tell that he's worried and concerned about you."

Hermione inwardly groaned. She knew that Ginny was right. Harry could never hide his worries very well and, of course, not from Ginny, who was tuned to him like a muggle radar to an incoming rocket. And at the end it did not really matter if Ginny found out today, tomorrow or next week. It would happen soon enough and Hermione might just tell her now since she was going to need Ginny's help anyway.

So with a deep sign Hermione proceeded to tell Ginny about her upcoming marriage with the same level of detail as she did to Harry but she also added an abridged version of her earlier conversation with Snape and that she now had to somehow figure out a way to comply with the wizarding courting customs.

To her surprise, Ginny took it all rather well. Of course, she gasped when Hermione named Snape as her future husband but she did not interrupt and when it came to his demand of not being alone with any male, she simply nodded. Hermione was again reminded that while being poor, the Weasleys were an old pureblood family and Ginny was brought up in the wizarding world all her life instead of being thrust there only six years ago.

When Hermione was finished with her story, both girls fell quiet until Ginny asked her first question, "So I presume you have not told Ron yet?"

The thought of it made Hermione emit a truly pitiful groan and Ginny chuckled, "I take it as a "no"," she sobered quickly, "you know you need to do it as soon as possible, don't you?" and when the older girl nodded, continued, "I understand that you are not keen but it would be better if you tell him yourself than if he reads it in the Daily Prophet. And I think it would come out today or tomorrow. Snape is too prominent figure for the information not to get out and you, yourself, are famous enough being a muggle-born best friend of Harry Potter."

"I know, Ginny," Hermione muttered, "I'll try and talk to him tonight, when everybody goes to bed if you don't mind accompanying me." She frowned feeling ridiculous at having to have an escort.

Ginny just smiled understandingly, "Look, I know it must be strange for you. From what I understand muggles don't have such customs. But it's completely normal in our world. So look at it this way: for now, I will chaperone you, and when I am getting married, you'll do the same for me and we will be even. Plus I would solely enjoy spending time with you and," her eyes danced mischievously, "as a payment, I would demand that you'll take me gown shopping."

Hermione could not contain her laughter, for some reason she felt infinitely better now, knowing that she had Ginny's support and that she had a solution to at least one of her issues such as having a female with her when she was hanging out with the boys.

"Of course," she said, "it'll be great to have you around to help me choose a dress."

"Great," Ginny smiled enthusiastically, "where are you planning to go, Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley?"

Hermione's smile fell, it was decision time: should she follow Narcissa's advice or ignore it? For a second she was tempted to tell Ginny about the visit from the Malfoy matriarch but at the end held her tongue. The young Gryffindor was more than comfortable telling her friends about herself but she did not want to bring Snape into this anymore than she had to. So instead she decided to rely on her gut feeling, "Actually," she said pushing her worries to the back of her head, "I was planning to go to Paris. I was told that there is a boutique there belonging to Mônsenior Duval."

She stopped when Ginny's eyes became like little sources, "Hermione, but this is really expensive," she said, "I mean, this is where old pureblood families order their clothes."

Hermione felt herself blush, "Well, Snape is apparently one of them," she said deciding that since she had read it in the book, it could not have been a real secret, "Snape is the heir to the Prince family. He has the title and the money and he told me to charge everything to his account. So I guess he could afford this."

If possible Ginny looked even more excited than when they were simply discussing wedding dresses, "And you'll take me with you?" she asked hopefully.

"Well, of course," Hermione said, "If Professor McGonagall agrees to take me, I am sure she would not mind if you came along too?"

Her words caused a rather enthusiastic response as the younger girl squealed and gave Hermione a tight hug. The next moment the redhead bounced off the bed, "Come on, let's go and see that brother of mine."

As she marched out of the dorm with Hermione in tow, the latter felt so much better about the upcoming conversation.

**Hi. Here is another chapter. It took a lot longer than I expected. I had it almost finished but then decided to add an explanation behind Snape's demand. Not sure if it's good… so let me know.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Two weeks later, Hermione was feeling a lot better about herself. She had her wedding gown and an entirely new wardrobe from Monsieur Duval. Ginny turned out to be an immense help and together, they have made most of the other necessary purchases, which were now all stored in the private rooms of Professor McGonagall.

She had told her friends about her marriage and they grudgingly—particularly in Ron's case—agreed to support her decision. She was pretty sure that her friendship with the redhead was damaged beyond repair but at the moment she found herself hard pressed to care.

Generally, wizarding society seemed to take her engagement rather well. The article printed in the Prophet was far better than she had expected. It described the upcoming union of the Head of Slytherin House and the Gryffindor witch as a positive sign of House unity. It then went on to discuss the Prince line and the necessity of an heir, Hermione's need of protection following her injury at the Battle at the Ministry, and endorsed the binding as a prime example of what the Ministry was trying to achieve with the induction of the marriage law.

Just below there was also a statement by the Hogwarts Board of Governors' declaring that a full investigation had been conducted with regard to the student-teacher relationship and it concluded that nothing indecent had occurred. No liaison of inappropriate kind took place between Professor Snape and Miss Granger during her term at Hogwarts and her course results were verified by the independent OWL examiners.

The article stated that in the beginning of the sixth year—after the young witch had come of age—the affiliation had formed and Miss Granger had withdrawn from her Defence Against Dark Arts classes and embarked on an independent study which would be supervised by the Headmaster of Hogwarts. She had also resigned from her role as a Gryffindor Prefect to give her more time to focus on her marriage.

Both articles ended with best wishes to the couple on their upcoming nuptials. Hermione had no doubts that this tamed response was the result of both the Headmaster and Voldemort protecting their spy.

The student body was also unusually subtle in avoiding the topic after unnamed Slytherins cursed a couple of Ravenclaw's for disrespecting their Head of House. Harry, Ron and Ginny's acceptance of the wedding set the precedence for their own House.

Though all these developments made Hermione breathe somewhat easier, they did nothing to relieve the cold grip of dread settling in her stomach due to Snape's refusal to acknowledge her presence. Harry said he was his usual snarky and biased self in classes. Since she was no longer attending she did not really have a chance to see him. He was rarely seen in the Great Hall and even when he was present he did not look at her. When she saw him in the hallway his only greeting was a curt nod.

Hermione was increasingly convinced that if she did not do something drastic, Snape would not speak to her until the wedding day. And she was certain it would land her in St. Mungo's with a nervous breakdown which, perhaps, was what Snape was counting on.

The more the young witch thought about it, the more she remembered her meeting with Narcissa Malfoy. Hermione had followed most of the older woman's advice but she still was not sure if she was willing to go forward with the binding ceremony that had been suggested. Her feminist values were challenged; she was raised to be an independent woman and witch believing she should make her own way in the world.

However, the more she thought about it, the more she realised that something quite extreme had to be done if she wanted to get through to her fiancé.

One Friday afternoon Hermione decided she'd had enough. If she spent another night worrying she would go insane. So, she borrowed Harry's cloak and, when everyone had gone to bed, headed straight to the dungeons. She was going to talk to Snape even if she had to break through every single one of his wards.

She was almost at the door to his quarters, still hidden under the invisibility cloak, when the door flew open and Snape—dressed in his travelling cloak—strode out. His expression was grim and Hermione felt her heart sink. He had been summoned. It took only a split second for her to make a decision and she quickly slipped inside the closing door. There she pulled her cloak off and set on a desk waiting for him to return.

Time trickled down slowly and she cast Tempus a few times only to realise that only an hour had passed. The longer she waited the more anxious she felt, her minding filling itself with all sorts of horrible things that could be happening to the Potions Master at that very moment. She tried to calm herself by remembering that Snape had been a double agent for longer than she had been alive but it was not helping much in her tired and frazzled state. In the end, she had dosed off from exhaustion, her dreams filled with dark curses and evil laughter.

Hermione was woken up by somebody shaking her quite unceremoniously. She opened her bleary eyes and saw herself staring into the pale face of her husband-to-be.

"Miss Granger, what the hell are you doing here?" He sounded none too pleased to see her but with her dreams and worries so fresh in her mind she took no notice of his tone and words and simply flew at him, burying her face in his robes.

"You're safe," her exclamation was muted by his clothes, "Thank God!" Hermione's body completely sagged in relief. He was back at Hogwarts unharmed and she relished in the warmth of his solid body and the smell of his robes, which she came to associate with him but a whiff of something else oddly familiar, was present. She would be happy to stay like this forever however Snape had different plans.

"Miss Granger," the voice sounding in her ears was cold and irritated, "would you kindly let go of me and answer my question."

Hermione's face flamed and she hurriedly took a step back. Her body protested against the move but her mind kicked in enough to remind herself that, like every time before, Snape did not touch her, his hands remaining firmly by his side.

She dared to look at him and saw the usual guarded expression on his face. Hermione flushed even more and saw one of his eyebrows raise as his lips twitched impatiently. She forced her brain to start working.

"I am sorry, Professor, I came here to talk to you but then I saw you leaving and decided to wait."

Her response did not seem to appease him, "And why would you do that?"

Hermione looked at him incredulously, "You were summoned." She reminded him, "I was worried."

Hermione did not expect Snape to be particularly pleased with her explanation, but she was not quite prepared for the disdainful look that he had given her.

"Oh my, this is touching," he drawled. "Miss Granger, be assured, I am very well aware that my duty of protecting you from the Ministry and the Dark Lord requires me to remain living and breathing at least until our wedding night. However, if the unfortunate were to happen, though it would be of great inconvenience to you, I am sure the Headmaster would find somebody suitable to take my place."

His lips twisted into a sneer and Hermione felt as if he had just slapped her. Without thinking she raised her hand but before her palm could connect with his face, her wrist was caught in a firm grip.

"Miss Granger, I would advise you to think twice before raising your hand against me," Snape hissed, his eyes blazing furiously. "I am not going to tolerate physical abuse from my wife. Is that clear?"

She had never seen him looking so angry, or dangerous. She should have been terrified—she was terrified—but the stress of the last few weeks had finally caught up with her and she did not have the strength to keep her words in check. There was also a very quiet voice in the back of her head, the voice that belonged to Narcissa Malfoy saying she should be honest with him. Hermione looked straight into the glittering black eyes of her Potions Professor and spoke with a firm voice that surprised even herself.

"Then you will have to stop insinuating with every word that I do not care about you and that you are just the means to the end for me." She forced herself not to crumble as he glared at her. "I know that I have made a mistake in unknowingly forcing you into marriage. You don't have to doubt that I feel awful about it," her lips twisted into a bitter smile of her own, "Professor, you have been reminding me for years that I am a true Gryffindor—feeling guilty is part of who we are. If there was a way to remedy the situation, I would have already done so, no matter the cost."

Her words did not seem to make an impression on him and Hermione's heart sank even lower. "But there is no way out," she whispered, unbidden tears welling in her eyes and she fought them vehemently. "I can't undo this. But I don't want you to think that I don't care about you. I do, and not because I need you to protect me from the marriage law, but simply because you matter to me. So, I want to try and make this union bearable for you—for both of us. And I can only hope that you will find it in your heart to allow it."

While she was talking Hermione kept searching Snape's face for any sign of softening but his only reaction was a customary scowl as he made to drop her hand. She was having none of it. Instead, she grasped his hand in her own and gently placed her other hand on the sleeve of his robes. "Please, Severus, I am not asking you to like me or forgive me now, but at least let me hope that there is a chance. Yes, what I did was stupid, but I didn't mean to intentionally hurt you. Do you think that you can find it in yourself not to punish me for this for the rest of my life?"

This time her words certainly had an effect. Snape's whole body tensed under her fingers and he looked at her so sharply as if he wanted to bore into her soul. Remembering Narcissa's words about his power as a Legilimens, she willed her thoughts and emotions to reach for him.

They stood silent for what seemed like ages and then Snape gave her an almost imperceptible nod. "Very well, Miss Granger," he said quietly.

Hermione felt elated. In all the years she had known Snape, this was the most positive development in their relationship. She was so relieved; she couldn't restrain herself from giving him a hug. The unusual scent that she first noticed filled her nostrils again but before she could think about it, he spoke again.

"Miss Granger," he sounded mildly exasperated but his tone lacked its usual bite, "It's very late and well past curfew so I suggest you tell me why you came to see me tonight so that both of us can get at least _some_ sleep."

Hermione released him but she could not and did not want to keep a smile off her face. "I came to show you this," she pulled out a piece of parchment from her pocket, "it's a suggestion for our wedding ceremony. I thought you might want to see it but if it's too late now, I could come back some other time."

She moved to put the parchment back in her pocket, but Snape stretched his hand and plucked it from her hands, "Leave it with me and I'll read it tomorrow and get back to you."

"Of course," she beamed at him and for a moment she thought that his mouth twitched.

It was too fleeting and the next moment he had already turned away from her, "I presume you have Potter's cloak with you and are not in need of an escort to Gryffindor tower?"

"Yes, sir." Hermione did not even bother denial of the cloak. "Good night, Professor."

She had to force herself to walk at a normal pace to the door. Once outside she sprinted to her dormitory. For the first time since this school year began, Hermione felt happy. It seemed that her outburst had paid off and Snape was at least willing to try and build some sort of relationship. She knew it was just the first, very tiny step but it confirmed to her that Narcissa was right all along; showing Snape that she cared for him was a very good thing, indeed.

When she made it to her dorm, Hermione crawled into bed, cast a quick lumos, and grabbed one of Narcissa's books. She leafed through the pages quickly trying to find the right page with the ceremony, a whiff of familiar perfume reached her nostrils.

The young girl froze. It was the same aroma that was coming from Snape's robes this evening, she was sure of it. Why on earth did he smell like Narcissa Malfoy? Her thoughts went wild as she tried to figure out an explanation for this. Narcissa never attended Death Easter meetings, she said so herself. And even if she did, the smell on his robes should not have been so strong even if she had stood next to him.

Dread settled in her stomach. No, it could not be true….he would not….

Too many thoughts were running through her head. At the forefront was a growing feeling that Narcissa Malfoy had lied to her.

**Here is another chapter. I would like to thank my beta KG-613 for her help. Enjoy and please send reviews.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Narcissa Malfoy was having her morning coffee when a house elf brought her a letter. It was in a typical Hogwarts envelope but lacked an official Hogwarts seal. The handwriting was unfamiliar to her but she could easily guess who had written the brief note.

"_Saturday, 10 am, wedding gown shopping."_

Narcissa vanished the letter and looked out onto the beautiful garden. She had a pretty good idea what Hermione Granger wanted to talk about. A small part of her felt slightly guilty but a much bigger part was feeling smug satisfaction. She would enjoy toying with little Gryffindor.

Hermione went into Madam Malkin's with determined expression and a sinking heart. When she arrived Narcissa was not there and the young girl busied herself with looking at the racks of wedding clothing, immediately noticing how ordinary these gowns were compared to her own.

"I thought we decided that these were not for you," a calm voice spoke from behind her. "I heard from Monsieur Duval that you have made your purchases."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "I am not here to talk about wedding gowns, Mrs. Malfoy," she stated.

The older witch raised her eyebrows, "Then what did you want to talk about?"

Hermione was prepared for this question. She practiced a lot of answers to it but now that the moment had come, only one remained, "Are you sleeping with Severus Snape?"

The girl had guts; Narcissa had to give her that. "And why would you think that?" she asked.

Granger just shook her head. "I think it's your turn to answer questions, Mrs. Malfoy," she said, "and there is only one answer—yes or no. So, which one is it?"

The older witch smirked, "You forget, Miss Granger, that there is always another option that I might choose—not to answer at all."

The young Gryffindor laughed, "That would be the same as saying 'yes.' In all honesty, I suspect that you have already answered my question. If it had been a 'no,' you would have said so. The fact that you are delaying giving me an answer, just means that I am right. And that you are having an affair with him." Her voice rose on the last words and she forced herself to lower it, not wanting to attract attention to them. "The one thing I don't understand is why you gave that wand oath. It stops you from interfering with our marriage. But I suppose," here Hermione sneered in a way that would have made her husband-to-be proud, "since you are cheating on your husband, you are confident Severus would do the same." She gave the older woman a deadly glare, "Well, know this: I will do everything I can, to put a stop to this."

She turned to go but Narcissa's voice stopped her.

"I have no intention on having an affair with your husband and would happily swear a wand oath to that effect."

Hermione froze in her tracks and slowly turned looking at the older woman as if Narcissa had just been proven to be clinically insane.

The older witch laughed finding the shock on the young girl's face highly entertaining, but her laughter died quickly at the fury that had ignited in large brown eyes. "Miss Granger," she said carefully, her face now completely serious, "I will tell you the truth only after you swear a wand oath of secrecy to me. No one must know about what I am about to reveal to you whilst I am alive."

For a moment, Hermione remained quiet. She had no doubt that this request was all part of Narcissa's game. The obvious thing to do would be turning around and walking away. However, the young Gryffindor was very aware that the apparent solution was not always the right one. She also came to realisation that Severus Snape was turning out to be much more of a mystery that she could have ever imagined and the woman in front of her possessed a wealth of knowledge about said wizard and was proposing to share some of it. It was a difficult offer to resist. What would she be losing by swearing to keep this information to herself? At the moment, it was hard to say since she had no idea what Narcissa was about to tell her but walking out was simply not an option. She would not be able to live with herself and she had nowhere else to seek answers.

Almost against her will, Hermione Granger pulled her wand and pointed it at her own heart. "I, Hermione Jean Granger," she forced her voice to sound as controlled as she could master, "give wizarding oath that I will keep secret everything that Narcissa Black Malfoy reveals to me this day until her death."

The older witch's face remained impassive while the young girl spoke and the moment the latter pocketed her wand, Narcissa nodded and picked up her bag. She pulled from it a small jewelled vial and handed it to Hermione.

"Do you know what this is, Miss Granger?"

The young girl carefully uncorked the bottle and sniffed, "Veritaserum?" she asked a frown creasing her forehead. "…what for?"

"For this," Narcissa took the vial back and drank it one gulp. "What I am about to tell you is highly unusual and I need you to be sure that I am not lying to you."

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise but she did not have a chance to ask any more questions since the older witch started talking again.

"I come from a very old wizarding family, Miss Granger. For more than six hundred years, the Black family has followed one tradition. When each of us turns seventeen we are taken to a Seer." Seeing Hermione's sceptical face, Narcissa waved her hand, "I know your opinion of Divination and Professor Trelawney is not very high, but I would not underestimate abilities of a powerful Seer. The one that the Black family visits gives us an individual prophecy, and has never been proven wrong." She paused and her icy eyes bored into the young Gryffindor. "My prophecy was that I would love a dark and powerful Slytherin Head and that my life would come to an end when my one true love married a young lion cub."

She stopped talking and her beautiful blue eyes fixed on Hermione's face. When the young girl's expression moved from sceptical and surprised to shocked and horrified, the older witch proceeded. "You probably could guess that I've never shared this prophecy with anyone. I might have only been seventeen but I already knew that Severus Snape was the love of my life. So, I kept quiet and spent the next couple of decades making sure that he never married."

This was not what Hermione would have imagined in her wildest dreams. She tried to wrap her mind around the information she had just received and felt her head spinning. This was bizarre, more abnormal and strange than anything else she had ever seen in the wizarding world. If it wasn't for Narcissa consuming veritaserum, Hermione would have simply laughed at her and walked out. However, now she could not ignore what she'd been told. Her brain struggling to process the whole story, she blurted out the first question that surfaced through her muddled thoughts, "What do you mean you made sure that he never married?"

Two perfect eyebrows rose on the aristocratic face, "Just what I said," Narcissa replied calmly. "I was told that I was going to die when Snape married so I made sure that he never did. When he had a fight with that idiotic Evans girl, who do you think taught James Potter how to win her over? And after she died, who do you think, made sure that Severus would avoid all those witches that were after him."

Seeing Hermione's disbelieving face, Narcissa laughed. "Do you think you are the first, Miss Granger?" Her laughter died, "Severus is a powerful, rich wizard from a much respected Pureblood family. He is intelligent, sensual, and handsome in all the ways that matter. Plus he's a God in bed. _Of course_, there were plenty of interested parties. I made sure none of them got too close. It helped also that Severus has high standards."

Hermione felt herself getting physically sick and in order to prevent herself from turning green, she interrupted Narcissa's monologue.

"So, you sentenced him to loneliness to ensure yourself a longer life?"

The older woman's eyes sparkled with anger, "He was never alone. I was always there for him."

"You were married," Hermione accused.

"And it never stopped us from being together," Narcissa hissed back. "I gave Severus everything I had: my body, my soul, my mind, my love. He had everything."

This time Hermione did turn green. A knife twisted in her chest. "I bet your husband was delighted," she snarled trying to contain the pain that was coiling her gut.

Narcissa laughed bitterly, "Lucius is gay. He never had interest in me. Our marriage was arranged so that he had an heir. After that he was more than happy for me to find love elsewhere as long as I was discreet," she smirked seeing the young witch at a complete loss of words, "It's quite common in the wizarding world, a lot of pure bloods have bi-sexual tendencies and as long as they conduct their business away from the public eye and produce magical off-springs, nobody minds it."

Something in Hermione's face must have shown her disgust, and the older witch's face sobered as she continued in a wary tone, "I am telling you this, Miss Granger, not to make you jealous or change your plans but so you would understand Severus better. I also want to emphasize that I am not competition for you. Severus is an honourable man. He will not be unfaithful to you unless he is not given a choice."

Hermione eyed her suspiciously, "This does not make any sense. On one hand you claim that he's the love of your life and that you've been keeping any woman in his life at arm's length for the last twenty years and on the other hand you claim you are not a threat to me. The two don't go together. You must hate me," the Gryffindor witch puzzled, "Hell, it is obvious you are not my fan at all, so why would you want to help me?"

Narcissa's face clouded, "I know that I have deprived Severus of having a family. That, though I truly deeply love him, I cannot give him everything he deserves. But you can. I am also no longer fearful of death."

Hermione just stared at the woman in front of her. She felt her brain ready to explode with the information floating in it. She had so many questions but at the same time her famous Gryffindor bravery had deserted her. She was not sure she wanted to know the answers.

Finally she said quietly, "What chance do I have when he had a relationship with you for twenty years?"

This time Narcissa's smirk looked forced, "Miss Granger, please note, I said that _Severus_ was the love of _my_ life, not the other way around. We have not been together all this time. We had an affair for a few years until Draco's birth. Then we stopped seeing each other, simply remaining friends with occasional benefits. And we only renewed our relations once the Dark Lord had returned. No matter how much it pains me to admit it I think in Severus' case it was more a search for comfort than love. He's more than ready to have a new passion in his life." She smiled mischievously, "And trust me, he will make it absolutely worth your while. It is a very good thing that you are still a virgin, it will appeal to his possessive streak and he'll make sure you enjoy your marriage bed very much."

"What?" Hermione sputtered, off put by such change in topic. Narcissa's smug face made her blood boil and that in turn forced her to ignore the growing embarrassment focusing instead on the turmoil burning in her heart and mind. "You are barking mad if you think I am going to marry him now. I am a Gryffindor; we don't marry people when they are cheating on us and especially not when it would cause a person's death!"

The young witch glared at the woman in front of her but, Narcissa simply ignored her. Instead, she picked up the bag she previously placed on a chair, her expression turning into the haughtier façade of Narcissa Malfoy. Then, she straightened up and looked directly into Hermione's eyes. The young witch was taken aback by the blazing fire that inhabited the usually icy gaze. "I can assure you Miss Granger, I am of perfectly sound mind. I can tell you for certain that you are going to marry Severus Snape four weeks from now." The blue orbs narrowed and Hermione involuntarily stepped back. When Narcissa spoke again her quiet voice was as sharp as a razor blade. "You might have fooled Dumbledore with your plot, little girl, but you are not going to fool me. I know that you, Miss Granger, love Severus Snape. You love him desperately enough to force him into marriage and I also know that you have it in you to make him love you back." For a moment the two women stared at each other. Narcissa broke the gaze first and swiftly turned around. "Good luck, Hermione Granger. I wish you and Severus all the happiness in the world."

**Hi All. This is another chapter. As you can see the plot thickens. I hope you like it. As always, reviews are always welcome…**

**I would like to thank my Beta KG-613 for her help and suggestions. Thanks very much!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

When Hermione got back to the castle she was a total mess. She felt betrayed, broken hearted, lost, angry, ashamed—she could have come up with one hundred adjectives to describe her anguish and it still wouldn't do. The worst of it was she didn't know what to do next. Everything inside her protested against marrying Snape but backing out was not an option.

She was cursing herself, Dumbledore, Snape and especially Narcissa. Herself for assuming that Snape was unattached since she had never seen him with a woman; Dumbledore for riding in on his high horse and simply ordering people around like wizard's chess pawns; the potions master for being a right noble bastard who could not refuse the Headmaster's orders to marry but felt perfectly fine to sleep with another woman a month before his wedding; and Narcissa for simply existing.

Hermione's emotional turmoil was so strong that she realised that if she didn't vent it soon someone would end up in the Hospital wing. So she headed straight to the Room of Requirement hoping it would provide her with a supply of dishes and pillows that could be broken and beaten.

Unfortunately, in her distress she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings resulting in a collision with something large and solid. Hermione, no doubt, would have ended up on the floor if the thing she bumped into was anything other than a man who tightly grasped her.

"Watch where you going, girl," a soft voice hissed in her ear and Hermione came face to face with a none-too-pleased Severus Snape. This was just too much, Hermione groaned inwardly. Some deity really had it out for her.

Snape surveyed the girl for a moment noticing the avoidance in her red-rimmed eyes. Such a reaction surprised him as she was usually more than capable of meeting his gaze.

He maintained his grasp but Hermione could no longer handle his close proximity. She lifted her head to give a polite excuse. His hair was slightly ruffled from their impact allowing one of the strands to fall into his eyes. An unbidden image surfaced in her mind of Narcissa Malfoy moving it behind his ear and touching his face. Jealousy rose inside her like a wave and instead of a polite excuse, Hermione shoved him away from her, "Let go of me."

Her voice rang with so much anger that Snape raised his eyebrows in surprise. For a moment Hermione felt pleased in causing a reaction on his face but he quickly regained himself. When she tried to brush past him, he quickly caught her hand and without much ceremony shoved her into an empty classroom.

The door locked behind them as Snape pushed the young witch into a nearby wall.

"What was that, Miss Granger?" His voice commanded.

"I said, let go of me," she replied defiantly, glare still pinned to her face.

His lips twisted and his voice dropped into a silky purr, "Is my touch so disgusting for you, dear? Oh my, that would make your choice of wedding vows less than suitable."

Hermione paled, "These vows are a mistake," she stated trying desperately to ignore his proximity. "Thankfully it's not too late to have them altered. I will find a suitable alternative."

Her passionate retort caused, yet another, slight arch of one aristocratic eyebrow on the dark wizard's face. "Such a change of heart," he drawled, "may I ask what has happened in the last forty eight hours?"

When Hermione remained silent, the Potions Master took a step closer to her using one of his long fingers to trace a line from her temple to chin, hooking under to lift her face. "Two days ago you were suggesting binding yourself to me in the most permanent way known to the wizarding world."

His finger continued to move down her neck and Hermione flinched and tried to pull away, but Snape lightly pushed her back into the wall and took a step closer effectively trapping her, "And this morning," he continued his dark eyes studying her face, "You cower from my touch and declare your own suggestions a mistake. What changed?"

He cocked his head and looked at her with calculating curiosity, "Are you simply hormonal? Or is this another plot of a teenage witch?"

His words served as a last drop, Hermione saw red, "Don't you dare," she hissed taking a step closer to him so that they were almost touching, "Don't you dare blaming this on me when you are the one at fault! Fucking cheating bastard…"

"Language, Miss Granger," Snape's face turned into a sneer. "I am still your Professor and though I might not be able to take points from you I am more than capable of giving you a few very nasty detentions."

"Oh, I am sure," Hermione scowled, "But before you do that, could you tell me where you were that night?" Before he could say anything, she added, "I know that you weren't summoned."

Snape straightened, "It is none of your business," he replied curtly his face hardening.

"Oh, I beg to differ," she looked at him defiantly, "I firmly believe that it _is_ my business, especially when you return with another woman's scent all over you. Tell me, Severus, were you planning on telling me or were you content to simply continue shagging her in secret?"

Hermione was prepared for any response from him from a well timed hex to a life time of detentions. What she wasn't prepared for was the laughter that followed. Snape threw his dark head back and simply laughed at her in his rich baritone. The young witch stared in disbelief.

"Miss Granger," he finally managed to calm down enough to speak, "did you think I was a monk?"

She looked at him dumbfound and he continued, "No? Then why are you so surprised that I have someone in my life?" Abruptly his mirth vanished and was replaced with a serious—albeit disdainful—frown, "Or did you think that I was unable to attract the attention of a woman?"

He waited for a moment to hear her reply but Hermione remained quiet, simply staring at him. A leering smile stretched his lips but it did not reach his eyes. Instead he lowered his head so that his lips were touching her ear and whispered, "Even if the latter was the case, there is always Knockturn Alley, with interested parties sharing their wears for knut or two."

Hermione flinched, "You…You weren't with a prosti—" she stopped.

Snape stepped away from her, "No, Miss Granger, I was not with a prostitute. Believe it or not, but I am capable of enjoying myself without having to pay for it." He sneered and Hermione could almost see the protective armour around him rising higher than she had ever seen it.

She hurried to correct him, "I never said you couldn't attract a woman's attention," she blurted out.

He raised his eyebrows at her sceptically. "Then why are you so surprised that I went to see a woman?" he asked.

"Why?" Hermione shrieked starting at him as if Snape just grown a second head. "How about the simple fact that we are engaged to be married in just four weeks? Oh, would it be too much to ask that my fiancé was remaining faithful to me!" she screamed, her whole body was shaking. "Considering that said man has forbidden me from even touching another male."

"And what you forget, Miss Granger, is that I am not a teenage boy with a fresh slate. I am a grown man. For the past twenty years, I have had a social life and since I was not given much notice on my upcoming nuptials, I require a small amount time to put my affairs in order, no pun intended." Hermione was about to interrupt him but he did not give her the opportunity, "The real problem here, I think, is that it never even occurred to you that I might have somebody in my life."

"I…" Hermione started, "I've never seen you with a woman, never even heard about one."

Snape gave her a condescending look, "If I choose to conduct my affairs discretely, it should hardly surprise you. I am a Professor in a mixed boarding school and, as you are well aware, that wizarding world is dependent on proprietary." He gave her a mocking look, "Since you seemed to have memorized _Hogwarts: A History_, you should know that, unless married, the staff is required to be subtle about their private lives." He paused and then continued, "However, it does not mean we don't have ones. You are a Muggle-born witch and it is the end of the twentieth century. Sex is a normal part of life."

Hermione has recovered enough from her shock that she had remembered the real reason for her questioning. "Of course, sex is a normal part of life," she scoffed. "And I am not some sort of prude. What I am unhappy with is, we are getting married in less than a month and you have shagged someone else. And what I want to know is, are going to continue doing so once we are married?"

For a second, Snape surveyed her with his black eyes, "Well, the answer to that is—it depends."

"Depends?" Hermione felt the storm rise once more within her, even as her heart was breaking, "Depends on what?"

Snape's long finger traced his own lips as he looked at her thoughtfully and then stretched to tuck an errant strand hair behind her ear. His fingers remained near her ear and Hermione's breath hitched, "On you, of course," he replied with a barely-there smirk.

"Me?" Hermione shrieked in confusion. She could not shake a feeling that she was a mouse being toyed with by a very large cat.

"Well, yes," Snape seemed to enjoyed himself, "We won't be part of the ministerial contract and therefore our marital relations won't be monitored. Therefore, we could get away with limited sexual contact, aside from the wedding night or if we decide to have children. I'll not tolerate your being unfaithful but I won't force you to share my bed. If you prefer to be celibate or partaking in self-relief to the alternative of having sex with me—it is your choice. However, I will reserve the right to seek my own pleasure elsewhere if that is what you decide."

"And how is it that it's alright for you to cheat but not for me?" Hermione exclaimed, outraged at the thought.

Snape gave her an arrogant look, "Because, I can't get pregnant. Also, I would be able to carry out my affairs discreetly but even if I am caught—it would only be our reputations that suffer. If you were to be unfaithful, the Dark Lord would view it as an insult to his loyal Death Eater and I might be forced to torture or murder you. This alone should be reason enough."

Hermione looked at him, incredulously. He sighed and continued, "Miss Granger, I am not planning to be unfaithful to you once we are married. The wedding ceremony you suggested showed me that you are willing to have a functional marriage. And, though I would never have thought you wanted to take it that far, it was probably the first positive sign since this whole process was initiated."

Hermione cast her eyes to the floor, feeling tears form there. His words were sincere, and from him, that wasn't a frequent occurrence. However, it did nothing to change the fact that she felt betrayed.

Snape bent down, not touching her, but catching her eyes and forcing her to look within his own, "It was a good-bye, Miss Granger," his tone was soft and his eyes lacked the usual hard edge. For the first time, Hermione was able to see that they were not completely black but a very dark brown, like the melted dark chocolate she liked so much. While she stared, he continued quietly, "Good-bye to somebody who has been in my life for a long time and to whom I owe a great deal. And if I might remind you, our engagement _was_ quite hastily arranged, it came as a surprise for the witch I was involved with and I owed her to at least end it properly. You shouldn't fall into worry."

"I shouldn't worry?" Hermione replied bitterly. "I've been ordered to not so much as be _near_ another man, I can't even hug my best friends, but _YOU…_ it's alright for _you_ to take another woman in your bed! How dare you?"

"Miss Granger," the soft look was gone as quickly as it appeared, "I am not going to stand here and apologise to you. I am not going to pretend my life was incomplete and desolate before you decided to weasel your way in and pick out our wedding patterns. You are supposed to be intelligent, surely you have realised that I have a wealth of experiences above and beyond those of your years and that some of said experiences would include other women. Did you simply believe my time was spent teaching dunderheaded school children and saving you and your ungrateful friend's from danger?"

Hermione's head hurt. She couldn't think straight. Part of her agreed with him, he was right, logically, he was completely right. She felt stupid for not realising it. But this was Snape. Snape didn't have a private life, Snape didn't have friends and women around him, Snape was a teacher, a spy. Snape was not supposed to be a man.

Her vision was obscured by falling tears. He was supposed to be _her_ man; she was supposed to be the only one to recognise it. Oh, how naïve she had been!

"Stop," she whispered, "please stop…"

Something in her voice communicated her pain to him and suddenly his hand wrapped around her head, softly stroking her hair as he pushed a white handkerchief into her hand.

Snape's voice was calm when he spoke again, "Miss Granger, the only way we could make this marriage work is to put the past behind us and not dwell on it. We will have plenty of difficulties facing us in the future, both in and out of our control. We are very different people with vastly dissimilar pasts and upbringings not to mention a significant age gap to boot. And, because the age gap is in my favour, there are a lot of things in my past that you will need to learn to live with. I can't change most of my proclivities and some of them, I don't want to. One thing however, is certain, if we bring into this marriage our negative understandings of the past, this ship will certainly sink and neither of us wants this to happen."

Hermione was listening to him and his soothing voice was like a balm to an open wound. She wasn't sure if it was healing or just numbing the pain but it helped to calm her, for now. The hand stroking her hair moved to massage the back of her neck. His fingers were warm and strong applying just the right pressure, her head falling backwards as she bit her lip to stifle a moan.

"I will leave it to you to find suitable wedding vows, just inform me of your choice."

She nodded again and the hand slowly withdrew, long elegant fingers trailing around her neck, to her breastbone, over the top of her breast and back up to her shoulder. And then, he was gone and Hermione was left alone.

**Thanks for all the reviews. Big thanks to my Beta **KG-613 for all encouragement, help and suggestions. **Here is a new chapter, enjoy. Reviews are very welcome.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

_She was standing in front of an enormous bed trying to take in the decadent scene in front of her. The light of the myriad of floating candles was shining on the expanse of black silk linen and black velvet drapes that were hanging from the four posts. The headboard was made from a beautiful tapestry depicting a woman and a serpent intimately interwoven together and a single rose lay at the foot of the bed, its petals such a dark shade of red, it looked almost black. The sight was a perfect setting for seduction-a fitting scene for a wedding night. _

_Hermione shivered, anticipation and fear pumping through her veins like a toxic cocktail making her heart speed up, stomach clench and her most private parts flutter. A warm solid body came in contact with her back and as the long fingered hand glided up her thigh, a rich velvety voice whispered in her, "Are you ready, my love?" Before she could answer another hand pushed her hair over her shoulder baring her neck to the warm lips. She could do nothing but gasp, as her knees almost gave in and she had to lean on the man behind her for support. Not just a man, her muddled mind reminded her, her husband, who was about to claim her as his._

_The next moment her brain shut down as the hand glided up her pale green gown and cupped her breast. Nimble fingers caressed the underside, and then lifted the pliant flesh, drawing closer and closer to where she wanted them most. When anticipation became almost unbearable, they finally closed over the target applying gentle but firm pressure, which together with the added friction of the silk still covering her, made her gasp. A wave of heat travelled down from her tormented flesh to her core leaving it pulsating and weeping. As if this was not enough, his mouth moved from the junction between her neck and shoulder towards her ear, warm breath and tongue leaving a flaming trail behind. She moaned not able to contain herself and tried to press closer to him but instead he stepped back and the next moment she was face to face with him._

"_I've asked you a question, witch!" the black fathomless orbs glittered at her. They were darker than ever before, pupils so dilated that there was almost no irises left in them. They contrasted almost unnaturally with pale skin that was framed by black hair. Black-white-black-such stark contrast - so the opposite of his character that consisted only of shades of grey. _

_His hold on her shoulders tightened and she was reminded that he was still waiting for her answer. "Severus," she sounded out of breath even to herself, "you know that I am, I've been dreaming of this for so long."_

_His sensuous mouth twisted into a hint of a smile, "I am glad, wife," his voice was now like silk enveloping her in his caresses as he pulled her towards him. For a moment he surveyed her and then his face came closer and finally, oh finally, he kissed her. _

_Hermione sagged against him, partying her lips allowing him to explore her with his tongue that expertly swept every corner of her mouth. Her own tongue tentatively touched his and with a few teasing caresses he engaged them in a battle. When the need for breath became overwhelming he pulled away but only for a moment before kissing her again and again. His hands resumed their exploration of her body touching her with light caresses, leaving fire in every step. Soon enough he had her completely out of control. She was grasping his shoulders, almost hanging on him trying to press as close as possible to his body, to relieve the burning sensation that had spread everywhere._

_He pulled away to let her take a breath but instead of kissing her again, his lips just hovered over her mouth until she opened her eyes to look at him. His gaze was blazing, "You going to enjoy this, witch," he whispered, "and I am going to enjoy you." _

_With these words he spun her around and she was again facing the bed. Her body froze. There luxuriating on the black silk lay a blond woman. Her body was barely covered by a silver gown, her hair sprayed like a halo around her head._

"_What are you doing here?" Hermione cried out._

"_What do you think?" Narcissa Malfoy smirked, "or did you believe I was going to give him to you just like that?" The older witch stretched languidly, "I hate to disappoint you, little girl, but you'll have to share…" Her smirk grew wider, "Don't worry he would be able to satisfy both of us."_

_Hermione whirled around and stared at her husband, "You can't do this," she looked at him pleadingly, "please Severus, make her go away."_

_The dark eyes glimmered dangerously, "And why would I do that, Hermione? I loved her for a long time before you came along. I did not ask you to marry me but you wanted to do it so here we are. And now I can have you both." He stretched his hand and pushed her on the bed next to Narcissa._

"_No," Hermione cried out, "no…"_

She woke up with a start frantically pushing herself from the bed. Crookshanks who was peacefully sleeping next to her gave an annoyed meow and hid under the bed. Hermione took a deep breath and ran a shaking hand through her hair. She was in her Gryffindor dormitory, in her own bed. She was not married yet. It was a dream… Another nightmare that was haunting her every night since she had last seen him…

She climbed back to bed and pulled her pillow to her chest. Tears threaten to spill from her eyes but she could not let them… Not again… Not now… She felt salt on her lips and given up the pretense. She was going to cry herself to sleep again. Oh, how she hated him for turning her into such a weakling and even more she hated herself for allowing it.

Taking a deep breath she cast a quick Lumos and pulled out her Arithmancy textbook. If she was to have red eyes tomorrow it better be from lack of sleep rather than tears.

xxx

By the end of Monday, Hermione felt totally exhausted. All she wanted to do was crawl into her bed but she still had to go to the Headmaster for their two-weekly session in DADA. When she made her way up the gargoyle, she heard voices coming from Dumbledore's office.

"Are you questioning my word, Minerva?" there was no mistake who this silky drawl belonged to.

"I can't ignore my own eyes, Severus," McGonagall's tone was clipped and Hermione could easily imagine a stern expression on the witch's face. "Miss Granger is not what she's used to be. She hardly pays any attention to her classes and her marks are going down. She is rarely seen with her friends and the Fat Lady tells me that she spends most of her time cooped up in her dorm. The girl is clearly distressed…"

"And it is, of course, my fault?" his tone was distinctly mocking.

"Well, who else's? She was perfectly fine when I took her shopping… But for the last two weeks she looks as if her whole world is collapsing around her and I want to know what you did to course this."

"Mind your attitude, Minerva," Snape's voice lowered and Hermione could not suppress a shudder from a dangerous edge that it took. "You forget that in mere two weeks your precious cub will be my wife and I could do with her as I please."

"You would not dare!" Hermione jumped - she had never before heard McGonagall yell.

"Severus," Headmaster's voice interrupted, "I think this is unnecessary. You promised me to treat Miss Granger well…"

"How could I forget?" Snape didn't seem to even try to tone down his acerbic tone. "Even if your instructions might have slipped my mind considering the long list of your orders I have to fulfil these days, Minerva is sure to keep me straight since she is watching me like a mother-hen whose cradle I've just robbed."

"How dare you!" McGonagall's voice rose to such a high pitch that Hermione flinched. "Albus, I demand that you interfere. Miss Granger is an innocent child and our duty is to protect her. I understand the concerns about the marriage law but I am not sure that this marriage would be any better. We are not just talking about a generational age gap here. Severus is jaded way beyond his biological age and I am afraid he would simply break her. What will we do then?"

"Minerva," Headmaster's voice was firm, "I think you are exaggerating here. Severus is a member of the Order and…"

"I am not questioning his loyalties," McGonagall interrupted. "I have no doubts that he's on our side and I am most grateful for what he does. But due to this role that he plays, he has to act and partially even become like one of them. Things that he's forced to do and see have hardened him beyond what one could describe as cynicism and taciturnity. And I feel highly uncomfortable of binding a mere child to a man who can break her spirit without even trying and most probably would not even notice."

Hermione could not listen any longer. She knocked loudly on the door and then pushed it open. The picture in front of her was not far from what she had imagined. Snape stood in the corner with a stony expression on a deathly pale face. Red faced McGonagall stood next to the fireplace and the Headmaster sat in his chair, the twinkle in his eyes completely gone.

"Excuse me, Professors," Hermione was pleased with how calm her voice sounded, "I am here for my DADA session."

"Yes, of course, Miss Granger," Headmaster nodded to her. "We will begin momentarily." He paused as if weighing something in his mind. Hermione waited patiently polite expression plastered on her face. Dumbledore seemed to have come to a decision. "I was actually just talking to your two professors about your upcoming wedding," he gave her a penetrating look. "Professor McGonagall here expressed concern that your marks were going down and you seemed to be upset about something. We were just wondering if there is anything you would like to tell us?"

Hermione took a deep breath. Oh, how much did she want to scream at them to shove their concern where the sun did not shine! But this would achieve very little, so instead she forced a respectful smile on her face.

"Yes, I've heard the end of your discussion," she said and gave her Head of House what she had hoped would be interpreted as a grateful look, "I appreciate your concern, Professor McGonagall, but I want to assure you that my grades and lack of attention have nothing to do with Professor Snape. He has been a perfect gentleman since our engagement. I admit, I am stressed, of course, I am. I am about to get married at the age of seventeen. We are at war and my future husband's life is very often in mortal danger. I think such things take precedent over school grades…"

She finished her tirade, surveyed three adults in front of her. Snape's blank expression was firmly in place while McGonagall was giving her a dubious look and Dumbledore was leaning back in his chair studying her face.

She returned his gaze defiantly. "Thank you, Miss Granger, for clarifying this for us." He said finally, "I am glad that you and Severus have found some common ground and he's treating you well. However, I don't want you to blame Professor McGonagall, she's right to be concerned. You are one of our students and it's our duty to protect you."

Part of Hermione wanted to call Headmasters on his hypocrisy and tell him that if he wanted to protect her he should not have just ordered such man as Snape to marry a student but she refrained from voicing her thoughts. It would not help any of them.

Headmaster was not finished though, "In order to close this matter, Miss Granger, I want to ask you, why you have been so upset for the last two weeks? Has something else happened that we need to know about?"

Hermione thought quickly, she knew that ever since that fateful night in the dungeon she was a total wreck and that's what alerted McGonagall. But she would be damned if she would admit the real reason to the Headmaster and her Head of House. She had to come up with some explanation that would be credible enough to justify her distraught state.

She took a deep breath and then looked at the elderly wizard, "There is something, Professor," she started quietly, "It's only two weeks now till the wedding and I… well, I have not told my parents yet."

All three Professors stared at her and Hermione rushed to continue, "Well, before the school year, I wasn't sure that my plan would go ahead so I did not want to unnecessary worry them. Then I wanted to wait till the Ministry's approval and afterwards I was so busy with preparations that I have not had time to inform them. I did not want to do it via a letter and I was hoping to ask you today if it would be alright for me to go and see them."

She lowered her head, purposefully avoiding looking at the Headmaster.

"Miss Granger," it was Professor Snape that spoke up, "you are still a minor in the muggle world, are you not?"

She looked at him but could not read any emotions behind his blank façade, "Yes, Sir."

"Then I am surprised that you have not seen fit to mention this before," he said in a clipped tone, "After all, I don't think it would be wise to have muggle police after me."

It seemed to be a rhetorical question but Hermione thought it was wise to respond anyway, "No, Sir, of course not."

Snape gave her a glare and then turned to the Headmaster, "Albus, if you would permit Miss Granger to leave Hogwarts tomorrow after class, I would personally escort her to her parents and make sure that we have their permission."

Headmaster's twinkle was firmly back in place, "Of course, Miss Granger, Severus. I think that would be most prudent." He beamed at them, "Time away from the Castle would be good for both of you. You may go tomorrow." His words seemed to indicate the end of the discussion and both Heads of Houses departed leaving Hermione and Dumbledore to go over her Defence work.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Here is another chapter. Enjoy and reviews are always welcome.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The next morning Hermione was in Tansfiguration when there was a knock on the door and Snape appeared, "Professor McGonagall, may I borrow Miss Granger for a moment."

Hermione could easily see the displeasure on the old witch's face at not being able to say 'no.'

"By all means, Professor Snape, but only for a moment, we are in the middle of the Theory of Conjuration."

Snape responded with a smirk and a curt nod and turned away leaving Hermione to make her way to the door under the curious stares of her classmates.

Once they were outside, Snape gestured towards a small alcove where they could talk.

"Miss Granger, apologies for disrupting your studies. I will only detain you for a moment," he started calmly, "regarding the visit to your parents tonight, have you owled them to arrange a suitable time?"

Hermione shook her head, "I have not sent an owl, Professor. My parents are always home on weekdays after six. They get up very early and go out only on the weekend. I was just planning to stop by around eight o'clock. Will that be convenient for you?" she asked. Snape had been an epitome of politeness so far and she did not want to sour the precarious truce.

"Yes," he replied in the same civil tone, "I have classes back-to-back until dinner. I will see you in front of the Great Hall at seven o'clock. Is that acceptable?" At Hermione's nod, he continued nonchalantly, "And if you please, Miss Granger, wear something Muggle, smart casual would be best."

The last phrase threw Hermione completely off. She never would have thought that Snape even noticed what she wore, getting instructions from him regarding the dress code for a visit to her own parents, was like seeing Voldemort dance naked. Her surprise did not go unnoticed by the dark haired wizard. His eyes glinted almost mischievously, he leaned in so close she could feel his breath on her ear, "Close your mouth, Miss Granger," he whispered sending shivers down her spine, "And get back to class before your Head of House has kittens of her own."

In a swirl of black robes he was gone and Hermione stood dumbstruck trying to process the fact that Severus Snape had just made a joke.

XXX

The rest of the day passed in a daze for Hermione. Ginny tried to talk to her at lunch but gave up choosing instead to shamelessly flirt with Dean. Hermione opted out of dinner, instead picking a few slices of bread and fruit and returning to her dorm. She was too nervous to eat properly.

Of course, she had plenty of reasons to be stressed out: she was going to tell her parents that she was to marry her professor in two weeks' time to avoid being part of a marriage law that would require all witches and wizards to be married to predetermined partners. This revelation would, without a doubt, open a whole can of worms. There were no divorces in the wizarding world and the fact that she had not informed her parents about her plans was reason enough to worry not to mention the numerous other issues involved. And the Grangers were nothing if not thorough in their desire to know all that concerned their only daughter.

However, if this was the only trial that Hermione had to face, she probably, would not have been reduced to such a bundle of nerves. The fact that she had to spend the whole evening with Snape both on her own and in the presence of her inquisitive parents was a much worse fate since she had rarely seen nor spoken to him since their conversation. The passing days had done nothing to bring clarity to her thoughts and feelings. She found them even more jumbled.

Hermione sighed and tried to focus on what she was going to wear. She did not have many Muggle outfits at Hogwarts since she had little chance of wearing them. A few pairs of jeans, tops, and fleeces usually lasted her the entire school year. But, Snape was very clear asking for something smart. So Hermione pulled out two dresses that her mother bought her last summer. One was a halter neck chiffon calf length gown that was far too summery for the occasion. The other was a dark-green, knee length dress with a squire cut and three quarter sleeves. Putting it on, Hermione twirled in front of the mirror. This would have to do. Just as she was looking for some tights to wear, Ginny came in into her dormitory.

"Wow," the red-head gave her an appreciative look, "somebody looks smart. What's the occasion?"

Hermione forced herself to smile at her friend, "I am going to see my parents tonight," she paused and seeing Ginny quizzically raised eyebrow added, "with Professor Snape."

The younger Gryffindor gave the brown haired girl a thoughtful look, "You've not told them that you are getting married, have you?" she asked.

Hermione lifted her head, "I will tonight," she said briskly turning away and looking through her meagre jewellery box for some earrings. She sighed in exasperation, she only had cheap trinkets and with the Prince ring on her finger, all other jewellery felt out of place. Ginny seemed to have sensed her dilemma.

"Here," she handed Hermione her own pair of very simple white gold hoops. They were a present from Fred and George when they first turned a profit in their shop. Hermione gratefully accepted them, slipped into simple black heels from her trunk, and picked up an even simpler small leather shoulder bag.

Surveying herself in the mirror, Hermione tried to imagine how she would look next to Snape. She knew that with heels their height difference would not be too drastic. She still did not understand why he went to the trouble of asking her to dress in Muggle clothing, smart Muggle clothing at that! She was absent-mindedly chewing on her lip when Ginny interrupted her musings.

"Penny for your thoughts?" The redhead asked.

Hermione shrugged, "I was just thinking," she started and then decided it would not do any harm to talk to Ginny, "Snape came to Transfiguration today and asked to speak to me." Hermione smiled to herself remembering McGonagall's face. "He asked me to dress as a Muggle and also wear something smart. I didn't have time to ask him why and now, I really don't know. I mean, I've never seen Snape wearing anything but his robes, why would he want me to wear Muggle clothes?"

Ginny frowned, her face deep in thought, "Maybe he just wanted to show your parents that he's not against your Muggle heritage?" she suggested.

Hermione shrugged, "Maybe, but why smart? I could be just as Muggle in jeans and a fleece."

Ginny twirled her hair around her finger, which was a definite sign that she was deep in thought and then her face lit up. "Oh, this is good," she murmured to herself, "he is good."

Hermione gave her a confused look. Ginny was already bounding from the bed where she was sitting and pulling her wand out, pointing for Hermione to sit in front of a vanity table that was shared between herself, Lavender and Parvati. Seeing Hermione's raised eyebrow Ginny smiled smugly.

"Think, Hermione, what is the biggest concern your parents would have about you marrying Snape?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders, "Age difference, I suppose, and the fact that he's my professor."

"Exactly," Ginny nodded enthusiastically. "If you show up in your jeans and a fleece, you look like the child your parents have always known. However, if you come dressed as a woman, it would make this age difference seem less and also would put you and Snape on equal footing."

Hermione thought about it for a moment, Ginny's explanation made sense and it was not surprising in the slightest to believe her Slytherin fiancé thought the same.

With Ginny's help Hermione applied a subtle amount of make-up to her face, calmed her riot curls into smooth waves. She then decided to wear some outer robes to keep herself warm since she lacked any appropriate Muggle jackets that would suit her outfit.

When she made her way through the Gryffindor common room, her appearance did not go unnoticed. She could see all eyes on her as the conversations stopped, but the most prized reaction came from Ron. His eyes all but doubled in size as he gave her a once over. "Where are you going?" he asked having to clear his throat half way through.

"To visit my parents," she replied calmly.

"With him?" Ron did not have to specify who "him" was. His whole face had contorted into a grimace. Hermione nodded, hoping to avoid a long argument.

Harry, who was standing next to Ron, elbowed his friend to prevent any further comments.

"Have a good evening, Hermione," the boy-who-lived said warmly.

She smiled gratefully at him and quickly made her way to the exit breathing a sigh of relief once the portrait closed behind her. The level of scrutiny started to get on her nerves and she was sure that it was only bound to increase as her wedding day got closer.

XXXX

Severus Snape slumped into a chair in his private quarters, unbuttoning the tight collar of his shirt and robes. Another day of teaching behind him, unfortunately he couldn't look forward to a relaxing evening with a cold, glass of firewhisky and a good book. He had to escort his teenage fiancé to her parent's home to make sure that they didn't send a search party after him. The Potions Master couldn't contain his sneer. It was going to be such a fun evening.

The dark wizard had no doubts that he would get the Drs Granger to consent to the marriage, twenty years of spying left him confident in his own powers of persuasion and two Muggle dentists were no match to the Dark Lord and Albus Dumbledore. He wasn't worried about the evening, more like contemplative of the future, specifically what to do with his bride.

Oh, initially he was furious with the little chit. The fact that she had interfered in his private life—something that he had managed to keep mostly hidden from both of his masters, dragging it to their attention made him furious. Being a servant to two scheming wizards was something that Snape hated with all his Slytherin nature. He managed to preserve his personal life by treading very carefully. To have all of his efforts go down the drain because of some meddlesome teen made his blood boil. Especially when considering she, in typical Gryffindor bull-headed fashion, had given little thought what-so-ever to the consequences of her actions. He swore to himself that he would make Granger regret every minute of their marriage.

He didn't have to wait long. The girl quickly understood that he was less than pleased with her actions but what really surprised him was that she seemed to genuinely care what he thought of her. He checked his memory for any signs of a teenage crush from her side, which would not be the first time in his career. Dark and dangerous reputation was a powerful magnet to women of all ages. But in Granger's case, he had never noticed anything untoward.

For the next couple of weeks, the witch kept him sorely entertained with her teenage hysterics, which were so out-of-character for the always so confident and bossy Gryffindor know-it-all. However, it did not last long—and if he was honest—he was fairly impressed by her maturity once she understood that what had been done could not be undone on her whim.

The incident with Potter brought some other concerns to the forefront and Snape had to mentally slap himself. He was so busy being furious at her, he forgot that the girl was a Muggleborn and as such had little to no understanding of the wizarding customs. Though Narcissa did mention that she was going to help, the Potions Master would have to be thrice-cursed before he trusted a woman scorned, even if it was not by his own doing. He knew Narcissa's feelings for him were borderline obsessive. But he respected her for being a loyal friend and ally. He owed her his life many times over. If not for her cunning and cleverness he probably would have ended up dead long ago.

Despite what everyone thought, Severus Snape wanted to live. His childhood was a wretched combination of abuse and poverty, his early school days were tormented by bullies and the main memory of the first fifteen years of his life was of being weak and helpless. The only spot of light in his misery was Lily Evans—his only friend and first love.

She made his life bearable but when she took her friendship away, he was lost. The day that Lily refused to speak to him after he spent the entire night in front of the Gryffindor common room, Severus might have done something stupid. But Narcissa Black forced him to leave at wand point, took him to the Room of Requirement, offered him firewhisky mixed with—as she told him later—a bit of lust potion, and spent the night shagging him senseless.

Next morning Severus woke up still hurting but without any thoughts of suicide. For the rest of the school year, he mourned his friendship with Lily and watched her get closer to James Potter. He kept his sanity because Narcissa was there. She not only provided him with ample opportunities for fantastic sex but she also taught him how to be a Pureblood wizard.

By the end of the year, Severus was no longer an awkward teenager. He learned how to be a true Slytherin, to hide his emotions, to manipulate people to his own advantage, and to use his strengths while concealing his weaknesses. He gained the respect of his housemates and fear from most of the other students.

It was Narcissa's suggestion that he turn his skill in potions into profit. Hangover and contraceptive potions, glamour and stamina enhancers, tonics for clear skin and smooth hair—he didn't brew anything illegal but students much preferred buying from him over going to Madam Pomfrey or the Hogsmeade Apothecary.

When he left home for the summer he had enough money to buy new clothes, books, and other necessities and a sufficient supply of dreamless sleep to make his father pass out after having a drink instead of taking his frustration out on his mother and himself. It could have been his best summer but turned out to be one of the worst since Lily continued to completely ignore him.

When he was leaving to return to Hogwarts for his six year, he took his mother's wand and hexed his father, threatening to kill him if he ever lifted a hand against his wife again. The warning though was too late and Eileen died the same year from the pure misery of her life. Her death served as a stark reminder for Severus that he was still as powerless as before when it came to things that mattered. The solution came from Lord Voldemort who was popular among other Slytherins. Voldemort offered power, mind-boggling, unbelievable amounts of it for those willing to practice Dark Magic in return for joining the ranks of his supporters. His ideas, though a bit extreme, were not without merit, return to old wizarding customs along with the freedom to practice magic without hiding it from Muggles.

Severus was too curious and too tempted to refuse this deal. And the Dark Lord delivered. Snape got more than he could have ever imagined. He was restored to the family line and rightfully claimed what was his. He learned magic that was not taught at Hogwarts or anywhere else, for that matter. He became rich and powerful.

He was young and naïve not to have seen the payback time coming. That payback came at a much higher price than he expected - the life of his first love and part of his own soul. Too late he realised that power was always relative and money meant nothing if he couldn't save that one person that he loved. Even though it seemed as if he had moved on after Lily left him, he never stopped loving her and a very deep part of him hoped that she would notice everything that he had achieved in life. When Voldemort refused to spare her, Severus turned to another devil and sold his soul once more to save the life of Lily Potter. But is the devil's way, Dumbledore did not keep his end of the bargain all the while refusing to release Severus of his oath.

After Lily's death and Voldemort's downfall, Narcissa was the only thing that kept him sane. Slowly, she coaxed him to life with ideas for new research, a stream of different witches that entertained him, her wicked sense of humour, and of course making him Draco's godfather. While Lucius was off ruling his empire and restoring his influence over the Ministry, Snape led a life of comfort and relative calmness.

Years passed and he was thrown back into the midst of things when Potter's son made it to Hogwarts. By then, his soul had healed and he learned to forgive himself for his past mistakes but he could not undo the deeds that kept him chained to his masters. First one then another started yanking his chains too often for the liking of the Slytherin who had tasted freedom.

During the first war, Snape was willingly serving Voldemort and then Dumbledore, during the second war—he was only serving himself. His goal was to survive and for that he needed the Dark Lord dead simply because Albus Dumbledore was a better strategist than Voldemort. The Dark Mark was only active while its creator was alive. The vow to the Order of the Phoenix only ended when the goal of the Order was accomplished.

The developments during the summer after Potter's fifth year, however, put a dumper on his plans. Between a promise to Dumbledore and the unbreakable vow with Narcissa, Severus was pretty certain that he would have to kill the Headmaster. After that, surviving would be very difficult since the whole side of Light would be hunting him. Even if he lived long enough to see the Dark Lord's defeat, he would, in the best case, end up in hiding always looking over his shoulder and in a worst case serving a life sentence in Azkaban.

When Granger had thrown herself into this mess, he initially was surprised that Dumbledore even agreed to the marriage. The Headmaster never really revealed his reasoning but Severus had a sneaking suspicion that the old coot thought he was doing him a favour and somehow protecting him. As if being married to Granger would protect him from Potter's hatred and Ministry's need of a scapegoat.

Granger herself was, of course, completely unaware that her husband-to-be was going to end up a wanted murderer in less than a year's time. Severus had a decision to make, whether he wanted to spend a year making the girl miserable and punishing her for being the epitome of Gryffindor insolence or he was going to let go of his anger and actually treat her well.

In the last four weeks, he became certain that Granger truly cared about him. His power of legilimency was enough to be able to feel her emotions without reading her thoughts. This sincerity and concern pacified his anger but it was her plea for forgiveness that turned his decision in her favour. The words she used struck a chord with him as he remembered himself pleading with Lily for her forgiveness after calling her a mudblood all those years ago. He still wondered sometimes what would have happened to him if she had granted it.

There was also another, more selfish reason that convinced him to try and get on with his bride. He knew that Dumbledore was coaching Potter but the Headmaster did not trust his spy enough to tell the reason or topic of these sessions. Snape was convinced that the training had something to do with finding a way to kill the Dark Lord once and for all. He was also convinced that Hermione Granger knew—Potter would never hide anything from her.

If the Potions Master could convince the Gryffindor witch to trust him enough to share Porter's secret, he could help them and in this way perhaps speed up the Dark Lord's defeat. Numerous times Snape felt frustrated with Dumbledore for keeping Porter out of the wizarding world for so long. The boy was not ready to be the Chosen One and he had nobody to help him besides the two other teenagers and Dumbledore himself. This was not the most efficient path to success. And Snape was short of time. He had until the end of the year to destroy Voldemort and regain his freedom. Then he could leave the old codger to die in his own bed without martyrdom glory.

These thoughts together made Severus Snape decide that he would make an attempt to build a life with Granger. Of course, his decision wasn't off to a good start since she found out about his evening with Narcissa. He wouldn't be surprised if his long term 'friend' informed Miss Granger herself. But he was honest with the young girl, the meeting was a good-bye and he was not planning on being unfaithful to his wife.

Severus had no doubt that Hermione Granger was truly hurt but he was also sure that he would be able to make her let go of the hurt in lieu of some other positive emotions.

Finishing his firewhisky, the dark wizard rose from his chair. It was time for the first step in courting Hermione Granger.

**Here is another chapter. I know many of you hoped that it would be about the visit to Hermione's parents and let me assure you- it's still coming. But I thought it would be nice to give Snape's perspective... Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. Reviews as always are very welcome.**

**BIG Thanks again to my beta KG-613.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

When Hermione got to the Great Hall, Snape was already waiting for her.

"Miss Granger," he greeted her calmly. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, Professor," she was not surprised—though a little disappointed—that Snape wore his usual heavy robes, obviously not thinking he needed to change his attire.

After a brisk walk, they arrived at the apparition point. "We'll do side-along," Snape announced and, before she could protest, added, "I know that you've received your certificate but I'd like to visit a location you've not yet been." Without another word, he took firm hold of her waist and the next moment they were gone.

They landed inside of what turned out to be a spacious living room in a, decidedly, Muggle flat. Snape flicked his wand and the lights came on leaving Hermione to survey a large TV, a couple of leather couches, a coffee table, several tall bookshelves and a few pieces of modern art tastefully positioned around the room.

"This is my London flat," the dark wizard explained, "I often use it as a safe point to apparate. From what I understand, your parents live about twenty minutes from here and I thought we might walk there if that's alright with you?"

Hermione nodded feeling slightly out of her depth. In the meantime, Snape pointed to the TV, "If you wish, I will only be a moment."

He disappeared through another door and Hermione was grateful for a reprieve. She hated that he always seemed to do something she didn't expect. She had already told herself numerous times that she should stop being surprised by anything that wizard did but she was still taken aback with his Muggle flat. In order to contain her nerves, she moved towards the bookshelves studying the titles.

They were again distinctly Muggle: some fiction, some travel and cooking books, a few heavy tomes on Chemistry and Management. It could have been a bookshelf in any ordinary house.

"I see your interest in books overcomes all else," a smooth voice said behind her. Hermione swirled around and was startled by his close proximity. She had to really fight to keep a gasp from escaping.

Snape looked completely different from anytime she had seen him. Gone were his Wizarding robes replaced with a well-tailored Muggle suit and a dark shirt with an open top button. The biggest change, however, came from his hair being neatly pulled back into a pony tail, leaving his face exposed. The outfit had completely transformed him, lifting years from his appearance and Hermione, for the first time, truly realised that Snape was only thirty six years old.

Her reaction didn't go unnoticed as his lips twitched and the same mischievous glint appeared in his eyes, "I'm guessing you approve," he drawled teasingly.

Before she could answer, he pointed to her robes, "You should take your robes off since we'll be walking. I have something else that will keep you warm enough."

Hermione was too shocked to object and as she pulled her robes off and put them on one of the chairs, she could feel his appraising look wash over her.

"You look very nice, Miss Granger," Snape commented and she could not stop herself from blushing. "I am glad you followed my request." When she turned back to him, Hermione saw that he was holding what looked like a very large cashmere pashmina. Snape opened it up and draped it around her shoulders, his large hands lingering for a moment. Hermione immediately felt the softness of the luxury material caressing her skin. The pashmina was completely black with very thin silver strands sparsely interwoven into it adding a hint of sparkle.

"Thank you," she knew she was blushing but could not help herself. A moment later, she frowned. "Where did you get this?"

Snape raised an eyebrow at her but, to her surprise, did not snap, "I've transfigured it from a blanket," he replied.

A short pause followed while Hermione tried to decide whether she believed him or not. Snape guessed her thought and rolled his eyes, "Paranoia does not suit you, Miss Granger." He then waved his wand muttering "Finite Incantatem." The next moment Hermione's form was completely covered by a large blanket that now flowed down her body and draped on the floor. "Satisfied?"

The smirk that marred his face was highly irritating but the young witch decided not to comment. Taking her silence as a sign of agreement, Snape waved his wand in an intricate manner and the blanket was transfigured once more into a pashmina.

"We don't have time for a lengthy discussion at the moment, Miss Granger, so I suggest we go now and you'll tell me on the way, how much your parents know about the Wizarding world, your role in it, and anything else concerning our marriage."

Though Hermione did not particularly care for his commanding tone, she did not feel like arguing with him, especially since his suggestion made sense. So, she nodded her agreement and they left the apartment.

As they walked, Hermione realized this was the first conversation she had with Snape and neither of them snapped at each other. She talked about how much her parents knew about the Wizarding world and he listened attentively, sometimes asking questions.

Snape quickly figured out that though Hermione never lied to her parents, she withheld information on how much she was in the middle of what was going on. Quickly the two came to a mutual agreement that she should be as honest as possible with her parents regarding the marriage law implications and her plan while emphasizing that Headmaster Dumbledore had agreed to it. Snape also suggested that for the safety of all involved she shouldn't go into the details of his role in the war and only state that he was able to protect her.

They quickly reached her parent's house and Hermione tentatively pushed the doorbell.

A woman in her mid-forties opened the door and her face broke into a wide smile, "Hermione, what a surprise!" She gasped, pulling her daughter into a tight hug.

"Jeremy," she called out into the house, "Come down, Hermione is here." Her eyes shifted behind the young girl and Snape looked into familiar brown orbs.

"This is Professor Snape, Mum," Hermione spoke heading off her mother's question. "He's kindly agreed to escort me."

Mrs Granger nodded, but Snape could see a tiny frown cross her face. It disappeared quickly, however, as the woman ushered them inside. They were greeted by a tall man with very short brown hair. Snape guessed that Hermione's wild curls most likely were inherited from him considering his wife's stylishly cut sleek tresses.

After mutual introductions, they were all seated around the coffee table, which already held a pot of tea. "Wow, Hermione, this is a real surprise," Mr Granger was saying, "I think in all your years at Hogwarts you never came to see us unless for school holidays."

The young witch could not quite hide her guilty expression and it did not go unnoticed by her parents. Helen Granger frowned again and her expression turned worried, "Is everything alright, darling?"

Hermione took a deep breath—this was it, the moment she had been dreading for the past twenty four hours. "I have something to tell you," she started and seeing two sets of now anxious eyes rushed to continue, "Don't worry, I am well and school is going fine. But, I have some news and I want you to listen to me without interruption."

The two parents exchanged quick glances and Snape felt their gazes turn to him as if asking him for confirmation and assurance. He kept his face neutral and the two dentists returned their attention to their daughter.

The young Gryffindor took another deep breath. Gathering her courage she started to talk. She explained the marriage law and her plan to circumvent it, how she talked to Professor Dumbledore and Snape's proposal. With every word the frowns on her parents' faces grew deeper and their eyes more worried. When she finished, an awkward silence fell.

It was obvious that both Drs Granger were struggling to process the news. Hermione's father was the first to speak.

"I don't know what to say," He admitted openly, "this is so outside of the realm of what we would call a normal life…that said from the moment you went to Hogwarts your life stopped being normal."

Unexpectedly, he turned to Snape. "What do you think?"

The dark wizard carefully placed his tea cup on the table, "I understand that this is hard for you to process," he said in his deep melodic voice and Hermione had to work hard to conceal her shock at hearing Snape's voice so devoid of its usual coldness and disdain, "the laws and traditions of the Muggle and Wizarding world are very different. Marriage law is unfathomable for you but for the Ministry of Magic it is merely a way to secure a healthy Wizarding population, which is their primary duty. The fact that it would be based on mostly arranged marriages is not something alien to our world. A lot of families, especially Purebloods sign betrothal contracts for their off-springs while future bride and groom are still in nappies."

"But this is archaic," Mrs Granger exclaimed. "We live at the end of twentieth century. People should marry for love."

Snape's mouth quirked into a slight smile, "Trust me, Dr Granger arranged marriage is not the only old-fashioned tradition still popular in the Wizarding world." He did not let her interrupt him again, "Whatever you might think about this, the fact remains that your daughter is a witch, it's her world and her life and she must adhere to its laws and traditions."

"Why?" It was her father that questioned him this time, "Why does she have to adhere to what is obviously outdated practice? I am not saying that she has to break the law but she can choose to leave the Wizarding world since she has an alternative open to her."

"I don't want to," Hermione interjected. "I am a witch and I want to live like one."

"But Hermione," her mother started.

"Forgive me, Mr Granger," Snape interrupted, "but it is naïve of you to believe that is a viable alternative. Your daughter would have to give up magic. The Ministry would take her wand. This is not the future any parent would want for their child. Witches and wizards easily live fifty years longer than those without magic but only when they embrace their powers. Giving up magic creates emotional turmoil which results, in the majority of cases, in an unhappy life and early death. It is known that those who willingly give up their magic or are forced to do so rarely live beyond the age of fifty."

Hermione listened to the Potions Master with acute interest. As always, Snape was saying things that were not in any book she had read and she could not help but shudder at the picture he was painting. It seemed to have the same effect on her parents, who visibly paled.

"So you are saying that our daughter has no choice but to comply with this idiotic law," her mother whispered.

Snape's eyebrows rose, "I think you know your daughter well enough to be sure that she would not comply with something she did not agree with without putting up a fight. As she explained to you, she came up with her own plan to avoid the law."

"But it will still see her married at the age of seventeen," her father exclaimed.

"But married on my own terms," Hermione interjected heatedly, "I would not be monitored by the ministry, would not be part of a ministerial contract where I have to have children every year. I'll be able to finish my education and most importantly, pick my own husband."

The moment the words left her mouth Hermione bit her lip. Drawing her parent's attention to her choice of a life partner was not her brightest idea.

Drs Granger shifted their focus to Snape. "So you…" Helen paused trying to find the right word, "support her decision and her choice of you as her husband?"

"I will be honest I wasn't thrilled when I first heard the idea. Marriage was not something I was planning on. However, after due consideration, I have come to accept that—though highly unorthodox—Hermione's plan has merit for both of us." He gave his fiancé a quick look and continued as confidently as if he was in the middle of one of his lectures. "Your daughter and I share similar interests in learning and research. We will be able to hold stimulating conversations, which would be a bonus in a marriage. Since I am a Half-Blood, I know the Muggle world very well, which would be helpful to Hermione. Plus," here Snape paused, "I come from a wealthy Pureblood family. Marrying me will open doors which would have been closed to a Muggle-born witch. All in all, I think both of us would benefit from this arrangement."

"Arrangement!" Mrs Granger could not contain the bitterness in her words. Snape frowned and she hurried to explain, "I am not trying to offend you, Professor Snape. What you are saying makes a lot of sense, but you must understand me. I always thought that my only daughter would marry for love, not for the sake of some _arrangement_."

Snape lightly inclined his head acknowledging her words, "I understand your sentiment, Dr Granger, but we must accept things as they are and do the best with the cards we've been dealt."

The black eyes bore into her and Helen could not deny their power. She sighed dejectedly, "So what would happen after you are married?"

Hermione was about to speak but Snape beat her to it. "Hermione will finish her education at Hogwarts and take her NEWTS in two years' time. She has already withdrawn from my class and would cover the syllabi as part of an independent study under the guidance of the Headmaster. We will reside at Hogwarts during the term time and I have a number of properties both in Wizarding and Muggle locations that we may live in during the holidays. You are more than welcome to visit her and she, you."

"What about your family?" Helen asked.

"I only have distant cousins," Snape replied. "I doubt we will see them more than once or twice a year."

Jeremy, who had remained quiet for a while, spoke up, "And you will treat her well?" As he spoke, his light blue eyes bore into the dark wizard.

Snape's voice when he spoke up was clipped, "Mr Granger, Hermione would be my wife and as such I would afford her every respect and care, you can be sure of that."

"But, you are so much older," Helen exclaimed again, "you must be what, in your…mid-thirties?"

"I am thirty six years old."

"You see, this is almost an entire generation. You have been her Professor for the last five years and from what I've heard, the strictest one. How would such transition even work?"

"Mum," Hermione could not keep herself quiet anymore, "you know that I generally don't get on with people my own age. Harry and Ron are the only friends I've really ever had," she more felt than saw a scowl on her fiancé's face and hurried to continue, "Severus and I are well suited to each other. We have common interest and in reality when he is eighty and I am sixty one, would it really matter?"

Her mother gave her a half-angry, half-pleading look, "Hermione, I am not talking about when he's eighty, I am talking about when you are thirty and he is fifty and…"

"And we will still both love research and books," her daughter cried out. "He's a powerful wizard, when he's fifty he'll give any thirty year old a run for his money."

Her outburst did not go unnoticed, her parents exchanged looks and then her mother sighed.

"Fine," she said straightening her back, "I understand that you've already made a decision and, no matter what we say, you'll go ahead with it."

Hermione felt tears well in her eyes and while she was fighting them, she was surprised when Snape spoke up. "Mrs Granger, I understand that you must be very concerned and hurt. I don't have children of my own but I have a godson for whom I care very much. Hermione is of age in our world. She did not have to come here but she wanted to have your blessing for this marriage. I would hope that you would afford your daughter the support she needs during this eventful time of her life."

His words made Hermione lose her already fragile control of her tears and she felt them sliding silently down her cheeks. She stood and quickly fled upstairs to her bathroom. Helen immediately followed her leaving the two men alone in the living room.

Snape sat on the coach waiting while the man in front of him was absentmindedly rotating his empty cup. As the Potions Master expected, it took no less than five minutes for Jeremy to formulate his thoughts.

"I…" the man started and then a resolute expression so similar to Hermione's appeared on his face, "I will be honest with you, Professor Snape. I am not happy about this marriage but I also realise that there is nothing I can do to stop it. Hermione's is our only daughter. My duty is to protect her and my only wish is to see her happy… And it is incredibly frustrating to feel myself utterly useless on both counts and having to entrust my only child to somebody I've only just met." He paused and looked at the dark man, "So I have to ask you, will you give me your word that you would keep her safe and at least try to make her happy?"

Snape had to admit that he felt reluctant respect to the Muggle. Feeling powerless was something he was very familiar with and he could understand Dr Granger. "You have my word," he replied simply, "I will keep Hermione safe as long as I am alive. Regarding her happiness, I can't guarantee this to you, but I can promise that I won't intentionally hurt her."

Jeremy was about to object but Snape continued, "This is everything I can promise you at the moment." The blue eyes met the black ones and, after a moment, the Muggle looked away. Dr Granger was not stupid; he noticed the hard glitter in his future son-in-law's eyes and the warning edge in his voice. Severus Snape had said everything he had intended to and pushing him further would be fruitless.

"Would you like some whiskey?" Jeremy asked, deciding a stiff drink would be very good for him at this very moment.

"Certainly," the dark wizard inclined his head, "I take it with a little bit of water."

XXX

In the meantime, Hermione was in her bathroom splashing water on her face trying desperately to get her emotions under control. She wasn't doing a very good job and the tears kept coming.

This was how her mother found her, "Oh, Hermione," Helen whispered gently pulling her daughter's hair away from her face, "don't cry, of course, you will have our blessing. How could we not give it to you?"

Her words only caused Hermione to cry harder. She clung to her mother just as she did when she was a little girl. Helen gently rocked her desperately trying to keep her own tears at bay.

When the young witch finally pulled away, her mother gave her a sad smile. "You should have told us before; you didn't have to go through all of this alone."

Hermione just shook her head, "I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily, it might have all come to nothing if Severus had said no or the Ministry hadn't approved."

Helen decided not to push the point that it took Hermione nearly a month after her marriage was confirmed to tell her parents. There was no point dwelling on this. At some point in the future, when both of them were calmer, she would talk to her daughter and try to explain how much it hurt to be so isolated from the life of her child. Now, however, was not the time, she had more important questions to ask.

"Hermione, I only want to ask you one thing," she started gently. The young girl looked as her mother expectantly and with such trust that Helen had to strengthen her resolve to continue. "Why did you choose him?" Seeing her daughter's expression cloud, Helen hurried to continue, "Please, honey…Why not Harry or Ron? I always thought you'd be marrying one of them."

The young girl shook her head. "Mum, they are like brothers to me, I could never…"

"And what is Severus Snape to you?" Helen pushed further not able to hide her fear and worry. Since they arrived at her house, she could not stop thinking about the role this dark, formidable man play in her daughter's life. Was he a father figure she substituted her own parents with due to being separated from them for so long? Was he a teacher that she wanted approval from and never got it? He was a perfect candidate for a teenage crush with the whole dark and dangerous aura. But watching Hermione interact with him, she couldn't figure out if which one of these scenarios—if any—were true.

Hermione's reaction to her question, made Helen's heart sink. A clear distress showed on the young girl's face, her brown eyes filling momentarily with pain and uncertainty as she shook her head again.

"Sweetheart, I am not asking you to tell me but please, be honest with yourself. You are about to marry him and I know you well enough to understand that just a practical arrangement would make you miserable. I am not sure about him, since there is no way to read his emotions, but he's a complicated man and living with him would be hard. I don't think you are naïve enough not to acknowledge that. So why are you so determined to have him?"

Hermione closed her eyes. She was not surprised that her mother had picked up on something that no one else did. After all, Helen Granger knew her daughter better than anyone else in the world. And she would know if Hermione lied to her.

"Because he matters to me," she whispered finally managing to verbalise the thoughts that were brewing for so long. She immediately felt relief at being able to share her feelings. She looked her mother straight in the eyes and smiled gently, "Mum, when I realised the marriage law was coming, I thought about having to choose a husband among all the men I knew," She could not stop herself from blushing, "He's the only one that I can see myself spending my life with."

Helen looked at her only child and it was now her turn to have tears glistening in her eyes. Her little girl had grown into a woman. A woman who loved the dark man currently sitting in her very own living room. And loved him strong enough to _make_ him marry her.

**Here is another chapter. I apologise for the delay but hopefully it will be worth it. I again want to thank all of those who submitted reviews. Your words and encouragement does mean a lot to me and really helps aspiration flowing.**

**I also would like to thank my beta –KG613 for her help. **

**Anyway, enjoy and please review.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

When Snape apparated them back to his apartment, Hermione released a deep tired sigh. She felt drained and exhausted and was grateful that, instead of walking, Snape used magical transportation.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" Snape's voice called.

"Shouldn't we be going back to Hogwarts?"

Snape shrugged his shoulders, "I am in no rush to return and the Headmaster is not expecting us until midnight. So, unless you are desperate to get back, we have about an hour."

For a second, Hermione weighed her options. She was bone weary but she knew she would not be able to fall asleep, her mind reeling from the conversation with her parents. This visit made her acutely aware that, with less than two weeks before her wedding, she knew very little about the man she was going to share her life with. And, since Snape seemed to be in the mood to spend time with her—which was a very unlikely occurrence—she needed to use the opportunity.

"A glass of wine would be lovely," she replied giving him a small smile. If Snape chose to ignore the fact that she was still underage to drink, she wasn't going to bring it to his attention.

With a curt nod, Snape disappeared from the room and returned a minute later with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He poured a generous amount and handed her a glass.

They sat for a moment, sipping on their wine, until Hermione broke the silence.

"What did my father talk to you about when you were alone?" She asked remembering the scene when she got back to the living room after emotional exchange with her mother. Both men were nursing tumblers and discussing different types of whiskey. It left two women in no doubt that everything important had already been said.

"We simply discussed the expectations of the marriage. He wanted to ensure I would protect you and treat you well."

"And what did you say?"

He looked at her squarely, "I made the same promise to both of your parents I will ensure your safety and provide you with care that you ought to have as my wife."

Inwardly Hermione huffed, this was indeed exactly what he told her parents and though the safety aspect was absolutely clear to her, she wasn't certain about the caring part.

"Did you mean it?" She asked again.

Snape's face instantly turned cold. "Miss Granger, let me assure you that though I have a number of unfavourable traits in my persona, being a pathological liar is not one of them. This means I do not spout falsehoods without a good reason for it. And before you pretend to misunderstand my words again, I had no motive to be dishonest with your parents."

"So you do think that my idea had merit?"

His eyes narrowed instantly, "If you might recall, Miss Granger, my exact words were that I have come to accept that your idea had merit. Trust me the Headmaster could be highly 'persuasive.'"

Hermione felt as if he had slapped her, "But you said," she whispered fighting the dull pain that formed in her chest, "…that we had a lot in common and,"

"Hermione," this time Snape sounded impatient, "I know perfectly well what I said you don't have to repeat my words to me. Yes, we both love books and research. And yes, it would help in our marriage, but neither of these would ensure our future happiness, you must realise that."

The young Gryffindor was torn, Snape's words were hurtful indeed but it was the first time he called her by her given name of his own free will.

"I know," she agreed dejectedly, "but it could be a start, we could build on it."

"We could," he admitted, "of course, we could. But it would take us years to build any sort of trust based solely on academic endeavours. We simply don't have such luxury. However, you seem to have come up with a different way."

His black eyes bore into her as he pulled a parchment from his pocket. To her horror, Hermione recognised her own writing and understood that it was the blasted vows that she had suggested to him. "I know that you claimed picking these was a mistake and I am not about to argue about it. However, I would like to know your reasoning behind choosing them in the first place."

Hermione felt her heart sink she wasn't ready for this conversation. But what was the alternative, telling him to take her back to Hogwarts and admitting that she was too weak to have a discussion with him? Her Gryffindor spirit revolted against such cowardice.

"I…" she started and stopped…trying to find the right words. "I knew that marriage needed to be based on trust. I also knew that you had no reason to trust people in general and me in particular. So, I had a choice to make: wait for Merlin knows how long for you to get to know me enough or do something that would make you believe me," she grimaced realising that her choice of words probably were not the best, but carried on, "I decided on the latter and the bonding seemed to be the most appropriate way forward."

She glanced at Snape hoping to see some reaction on his face but at the same time resigned to having to wait for him to speak.

"I don't think you quite answered my question, Miss Granger. I have read this ceremony description and could pretty well guess what you were trying to achieve with it. What I don't understand is _why_? Why do you need my trust? As you know, all wizarding ceremonies state the basic rights: I will provide, defend, and honour you until 'death do us part,' and you will have your own obligations 'to care and cherish' your husband. This should be sufficient for the purposes of our marriage until the end of the war. The vow you were suggesting would bind you to me in a way that would make you unable to be intimate with another until I am dead and buried and even after that it would be years, if ever, before you would be able to tolerate such interactions without physical discomfort. In addition, you would be incapable of lying to me or telling anything about me even under the veritaserum. To top it all off, if you ever disobey me, it would cause you physical pain."

Snape gracefully moved closer to her on the coach.

His finger slipped under her chin and lifted her head, "The most interesting of it all," he mused in a soft voice, "is that this binding is completely one-sided. I don't even have to be faithful to you."

His words made the knife in Hermione's heart twist and she tried to pull away from his grasp but Snape just tightened his grip on her chin, "My question is, Miss Granger, why you want my trust so badly?"

His gaze was hypnotising and she felt herself falling under its spell. It was so tempting to submit to his will but she couldn't afford to lose herself each time he decided to play cat and mouse with her. "My reasons are not important." Her voice was a mere whisper.

"Are they not?" Snape raised his other hand and ran his long index finger down her throat. Hermione had to bite her lip to keep herself quiet. She was sure Snape noticed her reaction since his fingers moved from her throat to trace the collar of her dress, his touch feather light, and then moved up her neck and down to the point where it met her shoulder.

Hermione felt her body ignite with fire, her skin tingled and all of her muscles trembled as his fingers gently continued to trace her skin sliding down her breastbone. "If you want my trust so greatly," he leaned into her and she had to recline further to be able to see his face, "then why not indulge my curiosity? If I agree to this, in a few days you won't be able to conceal the truth from me anyhow." His hand moved again and this time Hermione gasped when he cupped her clothes covered breast, his thumb and forefinger easily locating the sensitive tip protruding through the thin silk of her dress.

A sweet ache rushed straight to her core and her thighs clenched involuntarily as he gently but firmly pinched her nipple. Snape repeated his action and she couldn't suppress a moan. She knew that she should pull away from him, tell him to stop this, at once and that he couldn't use this tactic to get answers from her. Her body, however, revolted against her mind, enjoying the waves of pleasure that were rushing through her and Hermione leaned into his touch, seeking more contact.

Her brain, however, was still fighting and gathering her remaining wits, she managed to whisper, "You're forgetting these vows are no longer on the table."

Snape's eyes glittered but he didn't stop his ministrations, "So you no longer seek my trust?"

His nimble fingers continued to torment her flesh and Hermione was having a hard time even understanding his words, not to mention answering his question. She could not believe that such a small part of her body could generate such pleasure. When Victor Krumm in her forth year touched her breasts, she first did not feel anything through her clothes and then had to choke down a yelp when he roughly pulled them. Snape applied just the right amount of pressure, gently pinching the areola and twisting the nipple producing longing yearning ache that was exaggerated by the slight roughness of the lace covering her breasts.

Gasps and moans were rising in her throat and the only way to supress them was to speak instead. Through sheer force of will, she forced her eyes not to close, "I still want you to trust me. But these vows have no purpose since…you neither want me nor need me…"

"And you no longer trust me…" Snape's other hand trailed a slow path from her knee up the hem of her dress, easily reaching her hips where they encountered bare skin. His calloused fingertips traced the line of her tights and the young witch exhaled sharply.

"With my life—yes, but with my feelings—not so much," she muttered her head falling back onto the coach as her body trembled.

"So what do you want now?"

Hermione lifted her head to look at him in a mixture of amazement and frustration. This was totally unfair. Snape looked completely unruffled, aside from the dilated pupils and the bulge in his trousers.

The dark wizard pinched her nipple a bit harder and Hermione couldn't stop her hips rising as she thrashed against him seeking the respite against the throbbing in her core. Snape's nostrils flared and he leaned further into her, affectively trapping her making her unable to move.

"Answer me, Miss Granger!"

Both of his hands were working her body and Hermione could only squirm under his unrelenting grip. It took a mammoth effort on her part to clear the lustful haze in her head. "I want to stop feeling helpless and out of my element," she managed to gasp and his hands stilled giving her a moment of torturous reprieve, "to regain control of my life and for you to treat me as an equal instead of a toy or a child—as you seem to alternate between the two."

Hermione managed to crack her eyes open. She was met by a sharp gaze of dilated black orbs but she didn't have time to decipher his expression as Snape's lips connected with her own. There was no tenderness in that kiss, only passion and control. His hands resumed their work and, as she gasped, his tongue swept into her mouth. It was different than in any of her dreams—raw, dominant, pleasurable.

One of his hands wound in her hair, angling her head and making it easier for him to kiss her. His other hand snuck behind her back and loosened the zipper of her dress before deftly unhooking her bra. Readjusting his position so that his knee was between her legs he pressed his thigh to her core and at the same time pulled her dress and bra down bearing her chest to his sight. For a moment his eyes raked over her form but before Hermione could start feeling self-conscious, he bent his head, his lips closing around her nipple and she lost herself in the felling of his teeth and tongue.

Without thinking she started moving against him, seeking the much needed friction. The tension in her belly began to swirl, mount, grow, and then unexpectedly erupted forcing her to break the kiss and scream as her body thrashed against his.

"Seve…" She clamped her mouth shut before his name completely escaped her lips.

Slowly the euphoria she felt subsided and was replaced by embarrassment and a small tinge of pride. She was ashamed of the wantonness displayed by her body but was also proud that her mind did not surrender.

She looked at Snape and found that his eyes were fixed on her face with a rather thoughtful expression. Not wanting to think about him watching her while she lost control, she asked, "So what do you want from me?"

For a moment, she thought that he wouldn't respond to her but then he smirked, "I am a man, Miss Granger. Surely you are woman enough to understand what I want at the present moment."

He shifted slightly and Hermione could feel his erection pressing into her thigh. Her eyes widened in shock as she gulped in air. Did he expect her to do it _now_? She opened her mouth and then closed it, not sure what she should say.

His deep, rich laughter filled the air, "Relax, Hermione, I'm not a teenage boy. I'm perfectly capable of containing myself." He effortlessly lifted himself from the couch.

"It's time to return back to Hogwarts. If you'd like to freshen up, the bathroom is through that door."

Hermione didn't wait for another invitation; she disappeared into the bathroom quickly readjusting her clothes and using both cleansing charms and water to make herself more presentable. When she returned, Snape was already in his teaching robes. She wasn't sure if he would simply tell her to apparate herself or if he would perform a side-along, but the Potions Master took a firm hold of her waist and the next moment they were back at the apparition point at Hogwarts.

Their walk to the castle was brisk and quiet. They were almost to the doors when she heard Snape call her name.

"Miss Granger," when she turned around she could only see the outline of his figure, his face remaining in the shadow cast from the castle's lights, "whoever recommended to you those vows did not know me very well. The last thing I would want is to have my wife bound to me as a slave. Marriage is a partnership, not a power contest and I do not want you to serve me like a bloody house elf." With these words he handed her a folded piece of parchment. "These vows were used by my maternal grandparents. Read them and let me know what you think."

He did not wait for her answer, instead, ushering her inside and to the Gryffindor tower without another look. When Hermione was safely in her own bed, curtains drawn securely, she opened the parchment he gave her.

There, in his slanting handwriting, she read ten short lines:

_With my blood I do vow:_

_To cherish and respect,_

_To care and protect,_

_To provide and believe,_

_You afore me._

_In health and in illness_

_In power and weakness_

_In poverty and richness_

_In certainty and doubt_

'_Til death do us part._

Tears pooled in her eyes and she could not help pressing the parchment to her chest. The huge weight she had been carrying since learning about Snape's relationship with Narcissa Malfoy fell. The tight knot around her heart loosened, letting it soar. Nothing and nobody mattered at the moment but Severus Snape who had just made her the happiest witch alive.

**Here is another chapter. Big thanks to my Beta for very useful advice and comments. Reviews are, as always, very welcome and much appreciated. **

**Next chapter will be the wedding…**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Hermione sat in the windowsill of her dorm, staring onto the Hogwarts grounds. It was the middle of the night and three other girls in the room were fast asleep, leaving the brown-haired witch to wistfully listen to their quite breathing and light snores. Oh, how much, she would give for such peaceful slumber!

Hermione pulled her night gown tighter around her body. The nervous energy thumping through her veins left her muscles stiff and her body shaky, and no amounts of blankets and warming charms helped.

It was now less than two days until her wedding. Tomorrow evening her parents would be arriving to the castle and the day after she would become Mrs Hermione Snape. Even thinking about this made her heart clench. It had been almost two weeks since the trip to her parents and during those two weeks she hadn't seen much of Snape.

She went to him the day after the visit to say that she liked the vows but caught him exiting his office on the way to see Dumbledore. She had to convey her message in the corridor and be satisfied with his curt nod of acknowledgement. For the next two days she hoped that he would call for her but instead received a short note from Snape stating that he had to go away on business and would not be back for five-six days. That was eight days ago and her worry was growing by an hour.

Where did he go and why was he not back yet? What had delayed him? Was he in danger? And if he wasn't why didn't he send her a note. During the day she was busy enough to push such thoughts aside. But at night, when everything around her was quiet she was unable to suppress them. That's why she was watching the apparition point in the distance for the last two hours.

It was a typical Scottish rainy day and she did not hope to see anything but it somehow made her feel closer to him. Hermione looked at a little globe that she always kept with her these days. A bit of clever wand work helped her to put a confundus charm on a remembrall. Now it glowed red indicating that Snape, her forgotten something, was not at Hogwarts. Hermione was proud of her achievement but it did nothing to relieve a gnawing feeling that settled in her stomach every time she checked the little ball.

Quietly casting tempus she realised that it was already past two and with a sigh decided to go to bed to at least give her tired muscles some rest. Just as she was arranging her blankets, she pulled out the ball from under her night shirt and her breath caught in her throat. It was completely clear… Hermione rubbed her eyes thinking that her wishful thinking had caused her eyes to deceive her. But the ball remained the same and Hermione's brain kicked into action.

Without hesitation she pulled her nightgown over her night shirt and rushed out of the room. Adrenaline flooded her system as she practically ran through the common room pulling the invisibility cloak that she had borrowed from Harry and draping it over herself. She had to see him, to make sure that he was indeed safe and back at Hogwarts.

She sprinted through the halls towards the dungeons and stopped only for a moment to lift the wards protecting the potions classroom. Not surprisingly it was completely empty and she ran through it and knocked on Snape's office door. She waited with baited breath for him to open it, surely he could not have been already asleep, but there was no sound coming from the room. Frustrated she knocked again and waited counting seconds by her own heartbeat. When no answer came, Hermione turned the handle and to her surprise the door opened.

"Professor Snape," she called out pulling the invisibility clock off, figuring out that he was less likely to hex her if she had alerted him to her presence. She was disappointed to see that the Potions master's office was completely devoid of his presence. She knew that the entrance to his chambers was somewhere in this room but she had no idea where. Without any specific direction she started to circle the walls looking at the specimens lining the shelves but not really seeing them. She was in front of a particular nasty looking creature when the wall behind it shimmered and opened into a dimly lit corridor. She carefully proceeded down it and stopped at the entrance to a large room with plush furnishings. After the chill of the dungeons it was surprisingly warm but Hermione hardly registered it, her eyes focused on the tall figure in front of the fireplace.

"It is done, Albus, and there is nothing you could do about it at the moment." She heard Snape's voice. "Plus it's not like it came as such a surprise."

"I would still like to discuss the details, Severus," she heard Headmaster's reply.

"And you'll get them but in the morning," the potions master's voice was cold. "Now I would like to get the grime of Azkaban off my skin so I suggest you have a lemon drop and restrain your curiosity for a few hours." Without waiting for reply, Snape broke the floo connection and the fire roared to life with a new vigour.

Hermione stood still stunned by the way her husband-to-be had just spoken to the Headmaster. As if she was watching a film, she saw the dark wizard gingerly lower himself onto the armchair positioned in front of the hearth as he stretched his hands towards the fire. Without turning his head, he spoke.

"You should not be here, Miss Granger."

She wasn't surprised that he noticed her presence and stepped into his living room fully, "I came to check that everything was alright," she explained simply. "You were supposed to return three days ago and I was worried."

There was a short pause as Hermione studied the back of his head and then he spoke in a cold tone, "As you can see, everything is fine and will be even better when you return to your dormitory. We are not married yet and your presence here is unnecessary." Though the words were intended to bite, his voice lacked its usual sting and he sounded more tired than anything. Hermione's worries blossomed in her heart.

She carefully came closer to the fireplace hoping that he would look at her. "Are you OK?" she asked tentatively stretching her hand to touch him but not quire daring. Her eyes drifted towards his hands that were still held in front of the fire and being in such close proximity she was able to see that they were shaking slightly.

Hermione forgot all about her restrain and rushed to kneel next to his chair, "Are you hurt, Professor?" She grasped his hands and nearly gasped at how cold they were.

Snape pulled his hands away, "Don't touch me," he hissed, not turning his head so all that she could see was his profile partially concealed by his hair.

Hermione's heart sank: he'd never so visibly recoiled from her touch.

"Please," she tried to keep her voice soothing, "is there anything I can do? Perhaps call Madam Pomfrey?"

"No!" his hand shot out and clasped her shoulder, the coldness immediately starting to sip through her night gown.

Fear gripped her heart. "Severus, please," she whispered, "look at me. Let me help you."

His hand dropped from her shoulder, "I think I already said, Miss Granger, that I want you gone from here. That would be the best help you could provide at the moment."

"Not until you look at me."

"Get the hell out," he snapped raising his voice and she jumped slightly, but didn't move.

"No! You are not well. You don't have to tell me what had happened but I am not going anywhere until I know that you are alright." She lowered her defiant tone and continued calmer, "Your hands feel like ice and you are shaking. We need to warm you up, I could make you tea and bring extra blankets, and if you'd like I'll cast warming charms as well…" she made to get up but froze when he turned his head to her.

"When would you, Gryffindors, learn that sometimes your help is not wanted?"

Hermione just stared - Snape's face was completely devoid of colour with his skin -ashen grey instead of its usual pallor white and his lips - a translucent line. The biggest change, however, came from his eyes that lost its clarity and shine instead turning into two murky pools deeply sunk in the sockets. Framed by his black hair, his face reminded her of the images of zombies that she had seen in the muggle horror films.

"What happened?" she couldn't contain herself, "What did he do to you?" Unconsciously she raised her hand to touch his face but he pulled back and her hand instead landed on his chest.

Snape sneered, "The Dark Lord did nothing to me. But as you probably heard I had an excursion to Azkaban to free the imprisoned Death Eaters and had to take precautions to avoid Dementors' interest in my persona," his lips twisted into a humourless smile, "It's not like I could have cast a patronus to keep them at bay. This," he lifted his shaking hand slightly", is just a side-effect of a potion that would pass soon enough."

Hermione swallowed with some difficulty, trying to piece together what he'd just told her. Ever since her third year she had read everything she could get her hands on about Dementors and found out that there was only two ways to fight them: either full bodied patronus or the darkest magic imaginable. She had also read that Death Eaters were not able to cast patronuses which left them with only one way to avoid being affected by Dementors – becoming as foul as the creatures themselves by artificially filling their magical auras with dark magic. There were potions known that could temporarily alter the magic of a person but they were known to be highly dangerous and Hogwarts library had no further information about them. However, the content of Grimmauld Place's book collection was much more extensive.

The potions had to be brewed with the use of some of the darkest ingredients such as werewolf or vampire blood and usually required human sacrifices in order to reach full potency. The thought of Snape making and ingesting such potion made Hermione feel nauseous and she quickly started talking in order to stop the bile rising in her throat.

"You've altered your magical aura with a potion and now its action is waning making your magic readjust itself. And since you are not a Death Eater - it's a lot worse for you than others?" her question was more like a statement.

"Five points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger," Snape sneered. "Now since you satisfied your curiosity, could you please get the hell out of here and leave me alone. I have a few very unpleasant hours ahead and do not require an audience for that."

Hermione stayed quiet for a moment trying to desperately remember what she had read about magical auras and their changes. Her encyclopaedic knowledge came in useful once again presenting her with a solution. Without a second thought, she quickly got up, her hands already undoing the knot on her gown.

The noise must have alerted Snape as he turned his head to look at her. "Miss Granger, what in Merlin's name are you doing? Seize this immediately."

Ignoring his words, Hermione pulled her gown off. She then kneeled in front of his chair and started undoing the buttons of his robes. Snape simply gaped at her for a moment for once lost for words and then his ice cold hands roughly pushed her away.

She lost her balance and landed on her bum in front of his chair, "Have you lost your mind, you idiot girl?" he hissed.

Hermione just glared at him, "No, I have not. The best way to diminish the side effects of this potion is to give you a sort of a transfusion but instead of blood, I will be sharing some of my magic. It will counteract the darkness within you and help you return to normal. The easiest way to initiate such magic exchange is skin to skin."

"And that what you want to do…" he scowled, "Haven't you forgotten something again? A small thing as asking my opinion or have you decided that if I've been ordered to marry you, you don't have to bother with such trivialities!"

His insult was well placed and his words stung her but she did not let it divert her attention from the task at hand, "You are not being fair," she replied calmly, "I only wish to help you and I don't see why you would object."

His scary ethereal eyes stared at her for a moment, "You don't see why I would object? Do you really think I am such a bastard?"

His words completely confused her and it had to have shown on her face, because Snape frowned, "Don't tell me you don't know, Miss Granger. How hopelessly naive are you?" When she didn't respond he continued sounding sorely exasperated, "The exchange of magic is one of the innermost connections possible between a witch and a wizard. It is a joining of souls on a deepest level and almost always results in physical intimacy."

This was most certainly news to Hermione and for a moment she considered the consequences but then simply shrugged. "So what? We are going to be doing it anyway in less than forty eight hours. Why not now, if it helps you?"

The next moment she found herself jerked in front of his chair, his ice cold hands forcing her to kneel in front of him, their faces mere inches apart. He then let go of her and gave a light wave with his trembling hand. Hermione gasped as the glamour spell fell; his eyes had lost their murkiness but the usual black depth of his irises now had a bright red rim around them. "Look at me, my dear Gryffindor. I am brimming with dark magic, the dark magic that flows through my Lord's veins as he kindly used it in the potion I took. It is surging through my blood and is so strong that I can't use my wand because I might just kill somebody and would for sure curse you with an unforgivable." His colourless lips twisted into a cruel smile, "Do you really want to lose your virginity now when I would brutalize you like a mudblood you are."

He pushed her away from him almost violently, "It takes everything in me to control myself and not to hurt you and unless you get the hell out of here in the next ten seconds, I would stop fighting myself quite so hard."

Hermione scrambled to her feet, grabbing her robe with shaking hands and ran to the door. There she stopped for a second, her eyes brimming with tears as she saw him bury his face in his hands. "I am so-so sorry," she whispered and then took off down the corridor.

She only stopped when she was back in her dorm. She climbed into her bed and punched the pillow with her fists. Why, oh why, did it have to be so difficult? Everything had just started to get back on track. They were supposed to spend the last two weeks in peace getting to know each other better.

A tiny voice inside told her that she had just got to know another side of her future husband. She saw him in his full scale Death Eater mode. But then another thought formed in her mind that made her feel incredibly guilty and sad. Even when he was artificially filled with such powerful dark magic, Snape still did not let it control him. And chose to bear the pain alone instead of hurting her or anybody else in the process. Tears streamed down her face. He was here in this building… so close to her! He was suffering… and she could not even help him…

She had cried herself to sleep that night and when she woke up in the morning her heart was laden with sadness, guilt and fear. Had he recovered? Would he be angry at her?

She was grateful that she was released from classes due to her upcoming wedding. Hermione waited for the other girls to leave the dorm and then took a long shower, trying desperately to sort out her emotions and thoughts and decide whether she should go and see him or just wait till tomorrow. She was just out of the bathroom when a house elf dressed in a silver- embroidered green towel appeared and with a deep bow handed her a box. "From Professor Snape, Miss," he squeaked.

She took it with trembling hands and when she opened it, her breath caught in her throat. This was the most beautiful jewellery set she had ever seen. Something she had never thought of being able to wear. On the rich black material lay beautiful long earrings and a matching bracelet. Large emeralds were nestled in the midst of tiny diamonds encased in white gold.

But the most important were the words on a note written in his slanting hand writing.

"_Dear Hermione,_

_Everybody has good days and bad days. But what happened yesterday does not have to affect tomorrow._

_I would be honoured, if you wear this set on our wedding day."_

_S Snape."_

"Will there be an answer, Miss?" the elf bowed once again.

Hermione scrambled around for a piece of parchment and a quill. She scribbled a brief note and handed it to the elf. He popped away and she allowed herself a small smile. She was a quick learner and noticed that her fiancé had an appreciation for briefness. That's why she wrote only one word, "Agreed," and had no doubt that he would understand the relief his words brought to her and that she was trying to convey the same.

Twenty four hours later found Hermione cooped up with Ginny and her mother in the private rooms of the Gryffindor's Head of House with Professor McGonagall going back and forth between the Great Hall and the make-shift bridal suite.

Hermione's make-up and hair were already done and her friend was just finishing closing the little buttons on her wedding gown. When the brown haired witch looked at herself in the mirror, even with her nerves as tensed as they were, she had to admit that she looked beautiful.

Her gown had a fitted body, open shoulders and wide flowing skirt that in acknowledgement to her marrying the Head of the House of Slytherin, was embroidered with little pale green leaves that had a silver thread for a stem.

Hermione had refused Narcissa's offer of her house-elf's help, but together with Ginny, they managed to turn her hair from wild curls into elegant waves that were pinned at the top of her head and from there falling around her shoulders, leaving her face completely clear. Her make-up was subtle, done in earthly tones, with a delicate line drawn around her eyes making them seem huge and emphasizing the colour.

All in all Hermione had to admit that opposite to her appearance at the Yule Ball in her fourth year, she looked like herself, just a lot more pretty.

Ginny finally finished buttoning the small silver buttons and stepped back admiring her friend, "You look beautiful Hermione," she said sincerely, "absolutely gorgeous."

The older witch smiled nervously. "Thanks Ginny. You are very kind."

"It's an absolutely truth, honey," her mother chipped in. "You are stunning…And the jewellery Severus has given you is such a great match for your ring. It's very thoughtful of him."

Hermione nodded quietly and just then Professor McGonagall bustled into the room with Hermione's father in tow. "Are you ready, Miss Granger?" she asked.

Hermione looked at herself once again in the mirror. She was as ready as she ever was going to be. With a light smile and a nod, she placed her hand in the crook of her father's arm and left the room.

**Hi. I am sorry for such long delay in posting this chapter. Sometimes life just gets in the way as they say. I hope this was worth the wait. I know it's not the wedding that I promised. But it felt right to add something beforehand. Anyway, I am writing the wedding now and hope to post it fairly soon. **

**As always, reviews are very welcome!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The large doors of the Great Hall swung open and Hermione paused for a moment taking in the beauty in front of her. She had discussed with McGonagall the decorations for the hall and decided it would be adorned traditionally based on the House colours of the bride and groom. But she never imagined the sheer grandeur and lavishness of it all.

Slytherin and Gryffindor flags hanged from the ceiling, tapestries with lions and snakes decorated the pillars, and a plush carpet of the same colours led to the elevated area of the high table which was transformed into an altar. Everywhere she looked were flowers: all standing in large vases, decorating the pillars and simply floating in midair, roses and dahlias, chrysanthemum and gerberas of all shades of red complemented with different tones of green, from silver tinted eucalyptus and lamb's ears to deep-coloured beargrass and magnolias. It was a breath-taking view and Hermione could have stood in admiration for days but, a gentle nudge from her father forced her to move as soft music filled the air.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she slowly started to make her way down the aisle. Never in her life had she seen the Great Hall so full. The whole of the Slytherin House was in attendance and very much outnumbered the much smaller headcount of Gryffindors and several sixth year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. All of the teachers were present standing with the Weasleys, Remus Lupin, and a smattering of Order members on each side of the aisle. Behind them stood the Hogwarts Governors, distinguished members of the Wizengamot and Ministry, representatives of old Pureblooded families, and—of course—Aurors.

The security arrangements for the wedding were unprecedented, Scrimgeour wanting to use it as an opportunity to show his control of the wizarding world as well as to promote the upcoming marriage law. There were nearly five hundred people present and all of their eyes were glued to her. Being a centre of such unparalleled attention made Hermione's insides tremble as she took deep breaths to calm herself. She could not think about all these people watching her, judging her, otherwise she would never make it through the ceremony.

Resolutely—looking only straight ahead—Hermione focused her eyes on the only person that really mattered at the moment. Severus Snape.

He stood in front of the exquisitely decorated platform. He wore the same dress robes as the day he proposed. The only difference being his hair which was now neatly pulled back and secured with a clasp. His black eyes were fixed on her and Hermione found it a relief to stare right back at him. His face was its usual mask of calm with a slight hint of boredom but as she approached, his features softened almost imperceptibly. There was a spark in his eyes and Hermione felt herself relax somewhat. Even the presence of a perfectly groomed Draco Malfoy by Snape's side did not throw her off.

A few more steps and she was there, standing right next to her very-soon-to-be husband, and her father was kissing her hand and pressing it into Snape's palm. The moment her skin touched his, Hermione forgot everything. With only his grip, he radiated warmth and solidness. Sharing one more look they both turned and slowly walked up the steps to the altar where they were met by a dignified marriage official.

XXX

Severus Snape internally sighed with relief. They were almost two thirds through the ritual and his bride had yet to make a single faux pas. He knew that wizarding marriage customs were archaic and would seem especially so to a middle class muggle born witch from London. He was grateful that, either due to Narcissa's efforts or the girl's natural curiosity—and probably a bit of both—Hermione Granger looked and behaved as a Pureblood witch.

Her gown was an epitome of elegance and proprietary, accentuating her figure and even reflecting his Slytherin affiliation. Her hair and make-up were stylish and understated emphasizing the delicate beauty of her face. Most importantly, she looked very much like a young woman, not a school girl and had so far followed the complicated service to the letter.

He and his bride stood opposite each other, their left wrists bound by a silver cord. The official made thin slashes on their palms, tightening the knot causing their bloods to mix and collect it in the small goblet he was holding. Once the red fluid covered the bottom of the chalice, the wizard healed both wounds and untied the cord. The best man and maid of honour dropped the wedding bands into the goblet and with a soft hiss the blood was absorbed into the rings

"Do you Hermione Jean Granger take Severus Tobias Snape to be your husband and the father of your children?

"With my blood…" Hermione's voice was soft but she spoke the words clearly in the absolutely silence that settled across the Great Hall. All in presence were keen to hear the type of vows that would unite the Slytherin Head of House and his Gryffindor bride.

"Do you Severus Tobias Snape take Hermione Jean Granger to be your wife and the mother of your children?"

It was his turn and Snape did not hesitate to repeat the vows. It was strange to say them aloud. In the last five years he had resigned himself that he would not live long enough to have a family of his own. Now, because of one stubborn Gryffindor witch, he was forced to have one or—if he tried to think positively—given a chance to change his own destiny. It was a tiny insignificant chance, but he would make sure to use this fluke of fate to the maximum advantage. Hermione Granger was going to help him succeed and he was almost convinced of her willingness.

He was not sure how and when it happened but the young girl seemed to have developed a small bit of feelings for him. Snape was not sure how he felt about the whole thing: puzzled, concerned, or surely exasperated. He would have never wished for her to enter his life but now that he had her, he was inclined to give it a go. He was not planning on changing who he was only for her but he would let her at least have a glimpse of other sides of his character, those that he had kept hidden from the world at large.

So when Draco handed him the ring he took Hermione's hand in his and carefully slipped the ring on her finger watching it glow and adjust to her size. She repeated the same action with the assistance of the Weasley girl and he felt the cool touch of metal settling on his skin.

It was time. The marriage official waved his wand and the piece of silver cord still soaked in their blood was cut in two with one half wrapping around Hermione's left wrist and the other encircling his own. The wizard spoke in a low tone.

_Union of souls, magic and flesh_

_Where flesh is blood_

_And magic is soul_

_From here onward the witch and the wizard_

_Side by side till death do them part_

_Brought together to recreate life._

"To the bride and groom!" The marriage official announced bringing their hands together.

"To the husband and wife!" Draco and Ginny repeated in unison.

"To Professor and Madam Snape!" The wizard spoke for the third time and the hall erupted in applause.

"To Professor and Madam Snape!" The sound of five hundred voices speaking at once was almost deafening.

It was his queue. Snape looked at his new wife and allowed himself a tiny hint of a smile. His right hand reached the back of her head as he guided their mouths together. It was not a particularly chaste kiss but neither was it wanton. He felt her sigh gently into his lips and secretly smirked. He was going to enjoy at least some aspects of this marriage.

They turned around and surveyed the crowd before them. Snape led his wife down the platform and then along the aisle accompanied by loud applause. As they reached the doors, he swept her into his arms and carried her out of the Great Hall and into his chambers.

XXX

When Snape sat her down on the floor of his private quarters, Hermione felt a little out of breath and was slightly miffed that the dark wizard did not appear in the least bit ruffled though it was him who had carried her all the way. However, before she could dwell on it, Snape turned to her.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready?" She repeated slightly puzzled, "…for what?"

An aristocratic eyebrow rose slightly, "For flooing into Prince Manor."

"Now?"

"Well, of course. It's just past twelve, the guests are going to be arriving around five in the afternoon so we have a good four to five hours in which to complete the bonding and I would much rather finish the task in my own home."

Hermione simply gaped at him, "Complete the b-bonding?" She stuttered, "But aren't we supposed to wait until the wedding night?"

Her husband gave her a piercing look as if she were joking, "What did McGonagall actually tell you about wizarding wedding ceremony?"

Hermione shrugged, "She talked me through the ceremony step by step and that there would be a few hours break between the ceremony and the feast."

"And did she explain why that was?"

The young witch just shook her head. Snape muttered something under his breathe which sounded very much like a swear.

"The reason behind the delay in celebrations is to give a couple a chance to consummate the marriage so the bride may partake in celebrations without endangering the purity of the marital bond."

Hermione's face turned beet red. "Consummate the marriage? You mean everybody would expect us to…they would know that we..."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, girl. Yes! Everybody will know that we've had sex. That's what newlyweds usually do and what care is it of anyone's when or where it occurs?"

Hermione glared at him, though she knew he was right. It should not matter, it did not matter. But, for some reason, she found herself completely unprepared.

Snape seemed to have guessed her thoughts. She saw him roll his eyes but he refrained from sarcastic remarks. Both fell silent as Hermione could not for the life of her think of what to say and Snape seemed to be torn between desire to express his annoyance and realisation that it was unlikely to improve the situation.

Finally, he seemed to come to a decision, "Hermione. I find myself at a slight loss. You were the one who initiated this union. We don't live in the middle ages and you are perfectly aware of what the consummation of a marriage involves. You don't seem to be opposed to being physically intimate with me and I simply refuse to believe that you are completely appalled by the fact that it's daylight outside. If you have some sort of phobia against having sex during daytime, please tell me and I bloody well will cast a nocturne spell."

He was right, he was perfectly right. She couldn't understand her immaturity. She had worked so very hard recently to put aside her youthful annoyances, today especially.

"I am sorry," she finally spoke, "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Bollocks. You know perfectly well why, in a matter of two minutes, you turned from a grown witch to a petulant school girl. And for some reason, you don't want to tell me. If I don't know what the problem is, I can't fix it."

His harsh words stung. Fighting to keep her emotions in queue and tears at bay, she was suddenly enveloped by his strong, protective arms. Severus Snape, the cold and unapproachable wizard that never once so much as patted her on the shoulder, was embracing her, his solid chest serving as a pillow for her head and his hands resting on her back and waist.

Hermione was touched, overwhelmed, her whole body and mind delighted in his touch and the tears that she was trying to hold rushed to the light. "I am sorry," she cried into his chest, "I don't understand myself. It's just that I so much want this to work, to do the right thing. And I don't know how. I try so hard to help you and be useful. I want to make you happy but everything I do is wrong. I just need to admit to myself that you do not care about me and I can't change that. So, I just have to accept it, but it is so hard!" She stopped when she felt his arms tighten around her.

"Again, you are jumping to conclusions, my dear Gryffindor."

She did not look at him preferring to burrow her face deeper into his chest but he gently plied her away. The black orbs peering at her had lost their hard expression, instead regarded her with soft calmness, "Hermione, you are my wife. How could I not care? I have just made a blood oath to put your interest above mine until I am dead and buried. Have I ever given you a reason to doubt my word?"

She shook her head in response and Snape's lips twisted into a light smirk. "Then, I suggest that you stop this unnecessary worrying and focus on important things. We've had a lovely wedding ceremony where your behaviour and tact were absolutely exquisite. So let's continue in the same style. We have a wedding party ahead, which undoubtedly, would be every second as boring as can be expected and I think a few hours of mindless pleasure would be just a thing to make us last through it."

His words caused Hermione turn as red as a tomato and she knew that her blush had spread from her cheeks all the way to her toes. Snape just smirked at her again and then grabbed her elbow pulling her into the fireplace. "Prince Manor," he proclaimed clearly and a short moment later, Hermione found herself standing in a huge room.

"Welcome home," Snape announced stepping out of the fireplace and helping her out. Their arrival did not go unnoticed, a rather tall house elf dressed in a familiar green tea towel with silver trim appeared in the room.

"Master Severus!" He squeaked and then bowed to Hermione, "Mistress!"

"Good afternoon, Ally," Snape responded, "is everything ready for the evening?"

"Yes, Master, of course, you need not worry."

Snape just nodded, "That's good. I will leave you to take care of the last preparations. Madam Snape and I are going to retire to our rooms. Make sure we are not disturbed."

As the elf bowed again, Snape took Hermione's arm and led her out of the room. The young witch knew that her cheeks were flaming red and tried hard to focus her attention on her surroundings. They passed through one lavishly decorated room after another until they reached a sweeping staircase of such width and height that she had only seen in stately homes-turned-museums that her parents had taken her during holidays. Without pausing, they continued to the first floor of the mansion and then along a wide corridor to large double doors that opened the moment Snape drew near to them.

Hermione found herself in a spacious tastefully decorated suite. The earthly pastels of the walls corresponded to the ornate wooden floors and were complemented by the furniture of warm chocolate brown. The whole room was lit by rays of sun flowing through the large windows.

"As hard as it is to imagine, I don't live in a house of green and silver," Snape had a distinct glint in his dark eyes. He started undoing his robes and the young witch swallowed.

Her husband rolled his eyes, "Oh, relax, Ally served us luncheon," he pointed to a table laid out in front of the windows, "I don't know about you, but I am starving." He pulled off his robes and headed towards the table," If you would like to get changed into something more comfortable, the elves brought some of your clothes here." He waved his hand towards the door on the far wall.

Hermione decided that a few minutes alone would do her frazzled nerves some good. As she suspected, the door led into a master bedroom and Hermione was glad that she was alone to have a good look around. Instead of lightness and clear lines of the sitting room, the bedroom was a true example of opulent decadence. Her feet sank into the deep green carpet that matched the plush curtains half shielding the windows. The dark furniture was intricately carved and a few pieces of expensive art completed the decor. However, the whole chamber was dominated by a huge monster of a bed. It was probably four times the size of her bed at Hogwarts and was covered in green silk.

Hermione forced her eyes away knowing that if she kept looking at it, she was likely to lose her nerve completely. Instead, she headed towards the large wardrobe and found a number of her dresses and gowns that she had purchased in Paris. Deciding that a gown would probably be more appropriate, she pulled it out and placed it on the bed.

She took off her shoes and reached behind her for the buttons. "You might want to use your wand for this unless you'd like me to help?" A smooth voice sounded from behind making her jump.

Snape was leaning on the door frame looking very much like the Master of the house ready to claim his bride. He wore his shirt with rolled up sleeves and collar open. Hermione found it quite hard to pull her eyes away from the exposed white skin.

"I thought you were eating," she replied, if only to have something to say.

"I had some fruit, that's enough for now," he pushed off the wall he was leaning against to aid her in her disrobing, letting his nimble fingers undo the buttons of her dress. Hermione tried not to breathe. Every accidental brush of his hands against her body sent little tremors through her and he could not have missed them. Once the last button was undone, he let go of it but did not move away, instead choosing to run his fingers down her shoulders and over her exposed back.

"You looked beautiful today and though I always knew you were exceedingly lovely, I didn't expect your transformation from a pretty teenage girl into a stunning young woman to be quite so…complete."

She was blushing so brightly that her cheeks were burning and she wasn't sure if it was due to his words or rather his light caresses. Her muscles were tensing and trembling in anticipation and her mind ran rampant. As if he had could read her thoughts he whispered, "Don't think," The tips of his fingers traced intricate patterns on her skin, "close your eyes and just feel." As his other hand came up and gently cupped her breast, Hermione moaned, her eyes closing immediately as she leaned into his touch.

"See," With one word he could encourage and inspire. His warm lips connected with her neck and she let out a slight gasp. It was not the first time that he had touched her, but the whole thought that this time he was going to go all the way, made each of his caresses that much more intense.

As he continued his ministrations Hermione felt her knees going weaker. Raising her arms she grabbed hold of his neck, pulling herself closer to him. He nipped her neck in retaliation, or maybe appreciation, she was not quite sure. Her change of posture gave him better access to her breast and both of his hands came to gently clasp the firm mounds before pushing her dress down and nimbly undoing her bra.

She was soon clad only in her lacy underwear and yet she hardly noticed it. His hands cupped her breasts, gently squeezing them and then pinching both of her nipples. It was simply too much and Hermione thrashed in his grasp, her fast breathing losing any sort of rhythm as moans and gasps escaped her throat. She completely forgot about her nerves, all she wanted was more—more of this feeling, more of his touch, more of him.

She couldn't say how long he continued his pleasurable torture. She was completely lost in the sea of new feelings when suddenly she was turned around, her tormented flesh set free. The surprise caused her eyes to snap open and she was met by a glittering gaze of his black eyes.

"My, you are responsive." Snape whispered, "I can't believe that with this inferno of a body, you've made it to seventeen and untouched."

His hand traced her cheek and Hermione again found herself leaning into his touch. "Tell me, Hermione, why did you save yourself for now?" As he held her head in one of his hands, his other continued the exploration of her body and again the young witch found it difficult to concentrate. "Tell me," she heard him whisper but even in her state, she could detect a distinct edge.

"I…I wanted my first time to be special." She managed to answer, "With somebody I have feelings for…somebody who would make it memorable."

His hands stilled for a moment and then a smirk marred his face, "What a shame," he whispered, "that only one of these is likely to come true."

His words broke through the haze of pleasure. She understood his meaning perfectly and her heart ached for him. Without thinking, she raised her hand to gently touch his cheek. "Oh, I beg to differ, I am more the confident that both my wishes will come true."

Snape's eyes sharpened. He gave her a piercing look and Hermione willed her mind to open to him. She felt a strange pressure in her temples but he did not penetrate her mind. She watched his face for any reaction and did not miss how the sharp features softened and a small smile graced his lips. She grinned at him but did not have a chance to say anything as he pulled her closer, his mouth seeking hers and she was lost.

Being pressed against him while almost naked was quite the aphrodisiac. She wrapped her hands around his neck as they engaged in the battle of tongues. The first kiss they shared, in his apartment, was merely one of discovery, she allowing him to explore her mouth, her body. This time however, her desire was unparalleled, she simply could not remain a passive participant.

He would be the first man to enter her, he was her husband, and she wanted to know him in this most intimate way. Her fingers tangled in his hair and she felt him groan into her mouth. His hands shifted to her bum and he pressed her closer to the hot, hard length of his desire. It was Hermione's turn to moan and her nails clawed at the back of his shirt.

Without breaking the kiss, she started tugging the offended article up and was relieved when he made a quick work of the remaining buttons and pulled it off. Being skin-to-skin with him was pure bliss. He was solid and warm, just as she had remembered, and his slightly rougher skin added an extra stimulation to her already oversensitive nipples.

Only when her knees hit the edge of the bed did Hermione realise he had been guiding her to it. As she fell down onto the green silk, her senses gripped her once again. She realised that she was lying almost naked, on her marriage bed, in almost broad daylight, and Snape was standing right in front of her in only his trousers, surveying her body.

Hermione's blush returned full force. Though she was a virgin, she was not a complete novice. She had read about sex both in scientific books, a number of trashy love stories her friends were exchanging, and also a few sex books that she had found in her parent's library. It gave her a good idea about anatomy, importance of foreplay and numerous positions.

However, in this case there was a huge difference between theory and real life. She had no idea what she was supposed to do. She knew that most men expected their actions to be reciprocated by a woman and in all honestly, she was more than just eager to touch her husband. Hell, she had been dreaming about it on a regular basis. But she wasn't sure how exactly he wanted to be touched and was terrified to do something wrong.

All the thoughts rushing through her head made her desire dim somewhat and she felt embarrassed and closed her eyes for a moment her hands reaching to cover herself.

"Don't," she heard his soft voice as his hands caught hers. When she opened her eyes she saw that he was leaning over her, his eyes fixed on her face. "This is not an exam, there is neither right nor wrong. Just pleasure, enjoy it." His lips twisted into a light smirk, "And don't worry about me. The way you respond to my touch, gives me satisfaction."

This complement made her smile shyly at him but he didn't respond to it. Instead he leaned down and his hand grasped her ribcage and slowly cascaded downward, skimming her waist then resting on the waistband of her knickers. With one smooth move, he pealed them off her leaving her naked.

His eyes roamed a newly exposed flesh and Hermione forced herself not to shut her eyes and to watch his face. His nostrils flared slightly taking in the scent of her arousal and it made her insides squirm in embarrassment and flattered desire.

His eyes finally met hers and with a slight raise of an eyebrow and small smirk he started undoing his own trousers. His movements were unhurried and she found her gaze flipping between his face and his hands. When he finally pushed his pants down, she could not force herself to look at his face. The curiosity took hold and she stared at the appendage that was soon to be inside her.

His was the first nude male form she had encountered. Though if she were honest with herself she had watched pornographic films in her exploration of the human form and she was quite happy that Snape wasn't quite as big as some of the actors, however, he was definitely well endowed. She was not really surprised considering what Narcissa had told her. The thought about the blonde witch made her mood dampen but before she had a chance to dwell on it too long, she heard Snape's voice.

"Would you like to touch it?" He asked lowering himself down on the bed.

She stretched her hand and gently grasped him. The sound of his sharp inhale indicated her effect on him and Hermione squeezed more firmly making slow upward and downward movements. This time he responded with a groan as his own hand began to caress her knee.

As his fingers began their exploration they left a burning trail, teasing the soft skin of her inner thigh. Hermione continued her ministrations but when he grazed her labia, she couldn't maintain her focus. The jolts of anticipated pleasure rushed through her body and consumed her whole being. Snape did not complain about the lack of attention. He watched her face carefully, noting her reaction to each of his touches.

The young Gryffindor turned out to be incredibly responsive, her reactions honest and uninhibited. It was not something to which he was accustomed. Very quickly she shuttered in his arms, the soft sighs and moans escaping her mouth were beautiful.

He did not give her much respite, instead moving down and tasting her for the first time. Hermione was shocked when she felt his tongue on her already sensitised flesh. At first it was almost painful but soon a wave of bliss rushed through her and she again lost any coherent thought. This time she couldn't contain her voice and loud cries of pleasure echoed in the room as she called for Merlin, God, and her husband. Her peak was more intense than before and her inner muscles trapped his fingers inside her as her thighs held his head in a vice grip.

Her body went liquid and she hardly noticed as he moved up her frame gently soothing and stroking it and only came to reality once she tasted herself on his lips.

She returned his kiss with favour and clasped his body, her hands caressing his back. Severus waited for her to open her eyes as she stared at him with a sated and dishevelled euphoria which was one of the more erotic sights to which he had ever been privy.

It was time now, for them to join properly. He did not have to check whether she was ready, he could smell her desire and see it in her dilated eyes. His own erection had been painfully stiff but he enjoyed pleasuring her. He had no doubts now that his wife would provide him with many hours of carnal delights…once he had taken her virginity. He didn't want to hurt her but the magical benefits of a proper bonding were too great to negate such an opportunity by using a potion.

"Are you ready?" He asked, not sure why he felt obliged to do so.

She nodded to him and to his surprise her hand came up to caress his face, "Yes," she whispered, "I want this, I want you…Please."

Her words were entirely too exciting. Having this innocent siren beg him was an incredibly powerful aphrodisiac. As if to prove her desire, she raised her legs and wrapped them around his waist, pushing herself closer to his girth.

Severus could not contain his groan as he guided himself to her entrance. She was tight and hot like a furnace. He had to take a deep breath to prevent himself from just plunging through her maidenhead. Slowly he eased himself in and saw discomfort clouding her features. He pushed further and felt her barrier touch the tip of his cock. There was no point in delaying it. He pulled a little back, and then moved forward stretching her. After a few more shallow thrusts, he retreated again and then with a strong movement of his hips plunged forward. She gasped this time in pain and he stilled buried deeply inside her.

It hurt. Hermione was trying to catch her breath. Oh, boy, did it hurt. She felt like he had split her in two. She wanted to push him away from her but restrained herself. His hands had come up and started caressing her body again. He was touching her in all the right places and she felt herself loosen, pain giving way to pleasure. When he kissed her, she responded to him, battling his tongue with hers.

This seemed to have been the signal he was waiting for as his hips started moving again, pumping slowly in and out of her. As he manoeuvred himself within her body, the pain ebbed and was replaced by a tension coiling inside her womb. It was a lot slower than when he excited her with his fingers and mouth but built as he started picking up speed and changing angles.

Severus was enjoying himself, the witch was wrapped around him like a glove and each thrust drove him further into pleasurable madness. He could not restrain himself from increasing his speed and was relieved when she seemed to enjoy it, starting to meet his thrusts with adulations of her own.

He was still mindful that she must be very sensitive; however, as he decided that he should not try to lengthen the experience too much. He reached her clit with his fingers and gently rubbed the engorged flesh. Hermione cried out and he knew it would not be long. Severus increased his speed once again, his fingers rubbing her and was rewarded with Hermione tightening up on him, "Severus…" she cried out, "Oh God, Severus…"

She was coming and Severus let go, with a few quick strokes, he exploded inside her. For a moment they both collapsed in a pile of sweaty limbs. She enjoyed his weight, relishing the feeling of him being so relaxed and so close to her. It did not last long as he shifted and rolled on his back. Hermione was not sure what she should do but he simply pulled her close to him. "Have a nap," his voice was slightly rough. "We still have a few hours."

He silently summoned the sheet and she felt the luxurious material caress her skin. Hermione snuggled closer to her husband and almost purred. She could definitely get used to sleeping next to him.

**Hi everybody. Here is another chapter, the long promised wedding. Again it took me a long time to write it but I really struggled with this one. Hopefully it was worth it. I would like to say a massive "thank you" to my Beta KG-613 because without her, this chapter simply would not happen.**

**I also want to say that in view of the recent announcements at fanfiction I will be posting this story also on petulant poetess just in case. **

**Enjoy and reviews as always are very welcome.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Hermione woke up to find that they had both turned in their sleep. Snape was on his side and she was spooning his back. It was not the romantic position she had always pictured but the fact that he was still holding her hand in his mollified her, somewhat.

She pulled away slightly surveying the pale skin of his back. Just as his chest, the muscles were well defined and it was mostly unblemished save for a couple of old scars from what she assumed were some dark hexes. She was tempted to touch them but, fearing his waking, she simply wondered if she would ever find out how he got them.

Snape was, seemingly, fast asleep and Hermione started to gently pull her hand away hoping to get out of bed without disturbing him and go to the toilet. Once she was up, she winced slightly at the ache between her legs. The reminder of her recent activities brought to the fore the memory of her wanton behaviour and made her blush. She would never have thought herself capable of such open begging. Trying to focus on something else, she looked around for some clothes and her eyes fell on Snape's shirt. She hastily pulled it on and tiptoed into the bathroom.

Hermione surveyed her reflection in the mirror. She wore the face of a Cheshire cat as opposed to the terrified virgin who looked back only a few hours prior. This discovery made her flush. It was unfair that she had to attend a reception where all in attendance would know she had just slept with her husband. At least it was too early for them to start studying her stomach for the first signs of pregnancy.

The cold dread suddenly gripped her stomach. Oh, God! How could they be so careless? Bathroom duties suddenly forgotten, she rushed into the bedroom to find her husband sitting in bed with the sheet haphazardly draped around his hips. His black eyes took in her outfit and he smirked but she ignored him.

"Severus, we forgot!" She was almost hyperventilating, "Oh, God, we forgot."

The dark wizard frowned, "Forgot what?" he asked.

"Contraception," she blurted out, "I am not on a potion and we did not use the charm. What if…" She did not manage to end the sentence as the Potions master laughed. "You think its funny?" she seethed.

"Relax, Hermione," he stretched languidly, the sheet sliding lower making it hard for the young witch to focus on his face. "I did not forget anything. As I told you before, I am not planning to have children any time soon. So I take necessary precautions by ingesting a contraceptive potion every three months. It's a fairly easy brew."

"Oh," relief flooded through her," Thank God, I was really worried."

"No need." He rose from the bed and without bothering to put anything on headed straight to the bathroom. "If I ever change my mind, you'll be the first to know."

Once the door behind him closed, Hermione sat on the edge of the bed listening to the sound of the shower running. His brisk response and departure made her feel unsure of herself. He was very attentive and tender when they made love but now he seemed to have reverted to his distant self.

Hermione mentally slapped herself. What did she expect that he would invite her to shower together? Her marriage was not a union of two loving hearts but an arrangement of safety and convenience. She should simply forget the romantic nonsense she dreamt as a child and focus on more important things like building a respectful, level relationship with her husband.

When Severus emerged from the bathroom wrapped in his bathrobe he found his wife still sitting on the bed, her eyes focused on some distant point. She had a determined look on her face—one that he remembered well from his class when she was working on a particular difficult potion. He winced at the memory, it was not helpful now that he had just bedded a student but her whole behaviour kept reminding him of how young she really was, to even suggest that he would forget about something as important as contraception was out of the realm of possibilities. Was she really that naive? Looking at her now, sitting on his bed wearing nothing but his shirt, made him inwardly sigh. She really was just innocent and inexperienced. Next to her, he felt incredibly jaded, tainted even.

She must have felt his eyes surveying her as she blushed profusely, "It was the easiest thing to put on," she pointed at his shirt.

Almost involuntarily, his lips twisted into a teasing smirk, "I have absolutely no objections. It suits you perfectly." Her mouth formed an adorable pout and Severus laughed.

"Unfortunately, I don't think our guests would appreciate such attire and I must admit that I would prefer to keep certain details of your body to myself."

Hermione glanced at the clock; it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. "Yes, I should get dressed." She started getting up and winced again. It did not go unnoticed by him and he pulled out a small jar from his pocket. "I have something to ease the discomfort," he said. "Lie down."

When she followed his instruction, he opened the lid and applied a generous amount of white ointment to his fingers. "Spread your legs."

"W-what?" the young witch turned crimson in an instant.

"Spread your legs. I need to be able to apply this to your passage," he explained and seeing her hesitate rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Hermione, it's a bit too late to be shy. I am your husband and have already seen you naked. If you are so embarrassed, imagine what all the guests would think if you wince with every move."

The thought made Hermione inwardly shudder with horror and she obediently opened her legs. The young witch closed her eyes unable to see her husband's blank expression as he carefully spread her labia applying the ointment to the plump lips. His firm touches did wonderful things to her insides and Hermione tried to control her breathing not to show him how arousing his ministrations were. His hand disappeared and she sighed with relief but then it returned again applying more paste and then slipping inside. She gasped not able to control herself anymore as his finger massaged her inner walls. His movements were absolutely delicious and when his thumb touched her clit Hermione's body arched.

"What are you doing?" she gasped.

"Shhhh, just relax and enjoy it, it's all part of the treatment." His melodic crooning hardly registered with her as she focused on the small part of her body which was massaged and pumped with nimble fingers.

After a few moments, Hermione shuddered from blissful completion. "Oh, Merlin," she moaned, "Oh, God…" As she writhed, firm arm wrapped around her and she was pulled to him. Her hands automatically grabbed his neck as she buried her head in his chest. As she calmed down from her high, she heard his soft voice,

"An orgasm increases the blood flow and will speed up the effect of the ointment. You should find that within five minutes you would be able to move without any discomfort."

Hermione just nodded into his chest. Her post orgasmic bliss slowly turned into mortification. He must think her some nymphomaniac, flying off the handle every time he touched her.

"Don't," she heard him say. "Your reactions are delightful."

She did not acknowledge his words but the way she relaxed in his embrace let Severus know that he had guessed her feelings correctly and that his words lessened her unease.

"Time to get up," he said quietly after a few minutes. "Let me introduce you to Agi. She used to help my mother before she married. She'd be happy to finally have somebody around whom she could help get dressed and do make-up and hair."

XXXX

An hour later, Hermione was sitting in front of a large mirror as a tiny elf floated around placing the last touches on her masterfully arranged hair. The ringlets cascaded down one of her shoulders. There was a quick knock and Snape came into the room. He had abandoned his green robes for the silk black ones just as she had changed into soft golden gown that accentuated her eye and hair colours.

Their eyes met in the mirror and she saw him smile lightly, "You look very nice," he said in his melodic voice, "Agi has outdone herself."

"Thank you, master," the elf squeaked. "Agi happy help Mistress dress. Mistress is so beautiful."

"Thank you, Agi," Hermione smiled at a little creature. "You are too kind, without your help I would not be anything special."

"Oh, I think Agi is right," her husband replied, Hermione again stared into the reflection of his eyes in the mirror. "You are absolutely exquisite."

She searched for any sign that he was teasing her and though his lips were quirked in a smirk, he seemed to be genuine in his complement.

"Thank you." She was still uncertain but when he crossed the distance separating them and took her hand in his, his warm lips grazing her knuckles, she flushed as a tingle spread through her body.

"Madam Snape," his deep voice caressed every nerve of her being. "Shall we?"

Hermione was blushing too hard to answer but followed him out of the room.

As he led her through the rooms, Snape gave her a quick update, "Most of the guests are here, it is customary to be early for such events. Draco and Miss Weasley are doing an admirable job as hosts."

"Are we late?" Hermione was genuinely worried now.

"No, we are expected to arrive after everybody else allowing people to get their drinks and find acquaintances first. There are about two hundred guests in attendance. Most of them you won't know but I will do my best to introduce you to those of any importance. You'll have some compulsory dances with Draco and my cousin, who is me current heir. And you'll have to say a few words welcoming everybody."

"I have to welcome everybody?!" Hermione stopped in her tracks. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"So that you could write a foot long speech and fret about it?!" his hand on the small of her back prodded her to start moving again. "This is nothing special. A few words would suffice. Say that they are all welcome and wish them to have a good time. We will open the ball soon after and endure our guests with as little interaction as possible. In any case, I suggest you don't venture too far from me."

Hermione nodded, her ears starting to perk to music and people talking. The double doors swung open in front of them and she found herself at the top of a large staircase. Abruptly the conversations and music stopped as the guests turned to gaze upon the couple.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you Master Severus Snape and Madam Hermione Snape, Lord and Lady Prince." Draco's voice sounded very clear in the silence that fell.

There was loud applause and Snape, for a moment, paused at the top of the staircase. Hermione understood that this was her cue. "Thank you, Draco," she said forcing her voice to sound calm and collected, "and to all in attendance, for coming to our celebration. My husband and I are very glad to see you here. Please enjoy the evening."

There was another round of applause as the couple made their way downstairs. As she was walking, Hermione's eyes were scanning the crowds for Harry and Ron.

"Potter and Weasley are not here."

She turned to her husband, "Why not?" she could not hide her disappointment.

"For two reasons. One – it is too dangerous for Potter to leave Hogwarts and two - his absence would be noticed and reported to the Dark Lord just as the reaction you have just displayed."

"You want them to see me upset?"

"Yes, because it would prove that our marriage had already caused a rift between you and Potter. And if I am not mistaken this was one particular reasoning you suggested to use for convincing the Dark Lord to approve this union."

Hermione bit her lip. He was right, it was the justification she had used but in preparation of her wedding all these considerations were pushed to the background while she tried to build a relationship with her fiancé. Now the reality came back with the vengeance. Snape was a Death Eater, his wedding would be attended by his fellow Death Eaters maintaining the disguise of being loyal to the Ministry and of course, they would report to their master.

It also hit her that now that she was married to him, she would not be able to maintain the same close relationship with Harry. They would have to appear distant at least in public and any sibling-like interaction between them would have to be kept secret. The thought made her sad but she quickly pushed it away. It was neither the time nor place to become sentimental for her childhood.

"So who else is absent?" she asked.

"From the teaching staff, only McGonagal and Slughorn are present. Dumbledore remained at Hogwarts, protecting Potter. Most of the Weasleys went home as well, only Arthur is keeping watch over his daughter. Your parents are currently with him."

As he spoke, they made their way to Draco and Ginny.

"I am glad you decided to join us," the young Malfoy grumbled quietly. "I can't believe how dull some of your guests are!"

"Not any more so than those attending the galas at Malfoy Manor, I am sure" Snape drawled.

"Yes, but you never had to entertain them all. You always showed up late and left early. Father often complained that you used your Hogwarts duties as an excuse."

"Draco, you did not have to agree to be my best man," Snape rolled his eyes but his tone was gentle.

"As if I had a choice! Most of your so-called friends would have no clue how to be a Master of Ceremonies at a wizarding wedding and would certainly embarrass your name. And then I would be forced to hear you complain about it for the next year."

Hermione was listening to this banter with wide eyes. She had never seen Snape and Draco Malfoy interact so informally. They sounded more like a nephew and a favourite uncle and there was no hiding the affection between them. She gave Ginny a wide eyed look but the young redhead just shrugged her shoulders. Before Hermione could question her, Snape's voice interrupted.

"Talking about Master of Ceremonies, how about you get on with your duties and tell the musicians to start so Hermione and I could open the ball?" Hearing her own name, forced her to stop contemplating this closeness between her husband and his godson.

Draco gave a curt nod and disappeared out of site, Snape turned to Ginny. "And how are you enjoying your duties, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny flushed slightly, "I am fine, thank you, Professor. Between Draco and Dad, I have been introduced to quite a few people and actually met a number of distant relatives."

"Well, that's good to know. I hope my godson was conducting himself appropriately." Snape face looked completely bored but there was a glimmer in his eyes that Hermione read as a combination of amusement and concern.

"He was a perfect gentleman," Ginny did not bother to hide her smirk. "We've called truce for the day. Since each of us care for at least one of the Snape's we decided to work together to make sure today was organised properly. This is obviously completely confidential," she shot a coy look at Hermione, "and tomorrow we will return to normal."

"Very sensible of you, Miss Weasley," Snape's smirk was true Slytherin, "I must commend you and Draco on your maturity and pragmatism. It would be unwise if this day generated additional upheaval for the noble House of Gryffindor. However, I do hope that you retain in you memory some of the experiences of today. You never know when they may be of use."

Though his tone remained casual both witches understood the underline meaning of his words. Hermione remained quiet, her attention focused on her friend. The redhead witch looked straight into the eyes of her formidable professor for, most likely, the first time in her life. She could not deny the power they held and for once Snape was not scowling at her. She was given a chance to see him as his true self.

With a start, Ginny recognised that Snape was certainly not an ugly man. His features spoke of confidence and power, his eyes of strong character and brilliance and noticing how Hermione was looking at him, made Ginny realise that her friend was falling for the man in front of her—the_ handsome_ man in front of her.

This was certainly a revelation for her and the young witch promised herself that she would quiz her older friend about it later. Snape was giving her advice and asking a question at the same time. He was talking to her like an adult and she should behave like one. "This evening would certainly remain in a special place among my memories," she spoke calmly, "and I would cherish the thought that it may serve me well in years to come."

Hermione could not contain herself and squeezed Ginny's hand as her husband nodded at the young witch. Just then, the large doors leading into the ball room opened widely and a beautiful music floated through.

"I believe it's our cue, my dear," Snape took his wife's hand and led her through the crowd. They were the first couple on the dance floor and after a few turns around the room, Draco and Ginny joined them.

Hermione had never seen Snape dance but was not surprised that he moved around the room with stealthy grace. He held her neither too close nor too formally and kept a light conversation surreptitiously pointing to her important guests.

She enjoyed this quiet time with him and was disappointed when the song ended and Draco appeared by her side. Snape offered his arm to Ginny and Hermione cautiously placed her hand on Malfoy's shoulder.

The young Slytherin rolled his eyes, "Oh, give it up, Granger, I don't bite."

Hermione glared at him but allowed him to pull her closer as he expertly led her in a dance. They were both quiet for a while but then Draco spoke.

"Look, Granger, I've been meaning to talk to you but there was never a good time and I am guessing now is as good as it's going to get."

He sounded so serious and the complete lack of his usual sarcasm made Hermione's mind whirl. What did he want to talk about? Was he aware about his mother's affair with Snape? Was he going to bring it up with her? Had Narcissa put him up to something?

Unaware of her inner struggles Draco continued, "I have no idea why you wanted Severus to marry you and how you convinced him to agree. All I know is that it was not his decision and before you get mad at him, he's never talked to me about it. But he does not have to. I've known him since I was born. He would have never even considered marrying a student if he had not been coerced to do so."

Hermione listened to him warily trying to figure out where he was going with his. "If I had to venture a guess," Draco continued calmly spinning her with ease through a complicated dance routine, "I would say that this arrangement has something to do with the upcoming marriage law and the need to protect Potter's brains, aka you. I am none too pleased that Severus, once again, is being handed the short straw but there is nothing I can do about the matter. But know one thing; if you ever do anything to hurt him, anything at all, I will make sure that you and your moronic friends will regret it for the rest of your miserable lives." As the words left his mouth Draco raised her in his arms as was required in the dance and for a second she was staring at him from above, "Is that clear?"

He lowered her to the ground but his grey eyes continued to bore into hers. Hermione froze, she had seen this gaze before, this utter determination: controlled but ruthless. The only difference was the colour and she could not decide what was more terrifying: the fathomless black orbs or these steely grey pools of mercury.

"I have no intention to hurt him, Draco." She finally said forcing herself to sound calm and collected. "You've heard my vows."

"I don't give a shit about your vows. Yes, when all is nice and dandy, you pretend to be a good Gryffindor wife but when push comes to shove, and when it is between his life and Potter's, I bet your vow would go out the window and you would as always protect the 'greater good.'" Draco spit the last words with such venom that Hermione tried to pull back from him but his grip on her waste prevented her.

Anger welled in her, "This is none of your business, Malfoy," she hissed. "If Severus is happy with the vow then so am I. You are his godson but don't pretend that his well being is your primary concern in life. If it comes to choosing between your Death Eater father or Severus, or better yet, between him and your own ungrateful hide, would you put your godfather first? I highly doubt it."

Draco's face contorted with fury, "You know nothing about me, Granger!" he spat.

"It's Madam Snape, to you, Malfoy. And you know nothing about me, either."

"Is everything alright here?" a steely voice interrupted and the two enemies froze.

Draco was the first to recover, "Everything is fine, Mother, just having a little disagreement."

To be continued…

**Hi All. Here is another chapter. Again it had taken me longer than expected but hope it was worth the wait. Narcissa will be firmly back in the next chapter that I am working on. Reviews as always are very welcome and I would like to thank all of you who had reviewed in the past. Your comments are a true inspiration. **

**Thank you again to my BETA KG-613 without her the story would not be the same…**


	17. Chapter 17

Previously

"This is none of your business, Malfoy," she hissed. "If Severus is happy with the vow then so am I. You are his godson but don't pretend that his wellbeing is your primary concern in life. If it comes to choosing between your Death Eater father or Severus, or better between him and your own ungrateful hide, would you put your godfather first?! I highly doubt it."

Draco's face contorted with fury, "You know nothing about me, Granger!" he spat.

"It's Madam Snape, for you, Malfoy. And you know nothing about me either."

"Is everything alright here?" a melodic voice spoke and the couple froze.

Draco was the first to recover, "Everything is fine, mother, just having a little disagreement."

**Chapter 17**

"I see…" Narcissa Malfoy's voice was quiet but cold. "I've told you many times, Draco, there is a time and a place for everything and this is certainly not one for the disagreement with your new godmother."

The young Slytherin looked contrite. "I am sorry, Mother. We got carried away."

Narcissa's features softened and she gave her son a loving smile. "No harm done, dear. How about you go and find Severus; it is probably time for him to locate Mr. and Mrs. Granger."

Draco nodded and disappeared. Hermione could not keep herself quiet any longer. "How dare you to be here!" she hissed at the older witch. "This is my wedding! Have you no shame?"

Narcissa's features did not change and neither did her tone as she spoke conversationally, "Mrs Snape, please be assured that my presence here is more than expected. Severus is Draco's godfather and Draco is a Master of Ceremonies, though he is still underage. Since his father is indisposed at the moment, the only way he could fulfil his duties was to be accompanied by an adult relative, and who better than his mother? Trust me, my absence today would have raised too many questions, none of which we want to answer."

"A Malfoy not wanting to answer questions? I surely have misheard," a sarcastic drawl of her husband made Hermione jump slightly. She immediately felt his steadying hand on the small of her back.

"Severus," Narcissa inclined her head, "I was just making conversation with your new wife."

"So I see. However, you must excuse us, Narcissa; it is time for the third dance and I still need to introduce Hermione to my cousin and locate Mr. and Mrs. Granger."

"I would not dream of delaying you," the older witch smiled gracefully. "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Snape."

As Severus steered Hermione away, the young Gryffindor struggled to contain her anger. "Why is she here?" she hissed.

"For the reasons she had explained already."

"I don't care about her reasons. It is unseemly for your…or her to be at our wedding. And you should have taken care of it."

"Taken care of it?" Severus's voice was as cold as ice. "I don't remember you ever mentioning that you did not want to see Narcissa Malfoy at our wedding. Is this another something you did not think of sharing with me?"

Hermione froze. She had never admitted to knowing the identity of his mistress. Between the oath she had given to Narcissa and the help she had accepted from her, it would have been an impossible conversation; but somehow she had thought that Severus would make sure that his mistress and his wife would not meet face to face.

The young witch felt her heart ache. She was not sure what to do. Part of her wanted to run and hide and another part wanted to slap her husband in the face and then scratch out the eyes of the blonde bitch. Severus must have sensed her turmoil, as he started to steer her towards the corner of the room, but their progress was interrupted by a tall, thin man.

"Severus, isn't it a time for a family dance?" The man's tone was an epitome of sourness.

"Indeed, Senelius." Severus's voice was equally dry. "I was just looking for you. Hermione, allow me to introduce to you my cousin, Senelius Polward. Senelius, this is my wife, Hermione."

"Pleasure to meet you, Hermione," Senelius's voice conveyed no enjoyment whatsoever.

"Likewise," the young witch was still fuming and easily matched the acid tone of her new relative.

"I will leave my wife in your capable hands," Severus's tone had a distinct edge. "Please make sure to return her to me after the dance." He gave a warning look to his cousin that turned wary when his eyes met Hermione's.

The young witch forced herself to calm down. She was mad at her husband, but her dislike of Senelius Polward quickly overcame any anger she might have felt for Severus. She gave the Potions Master a small smile and saw him relax almost imperceptibly.

She did not have time to contemplate this any further as Senelius led her to the dance floor. In the corner of her eye she saw Severus dancing with her mother, who seemed to be in good spirits and smiling at her son-in-law.

"So, I see that Severus has finally succumbed," Senelius's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Succumbed?" She wasn't sure what he'd meant.

"To bedding a student," Senelius responded. "I always thought it was only a matter of time." His blunt rudeness was so unexpected that, for a moment, Hermione simply stared at the man, not quite believing her ears. The way he was looking at her, with superior contempt, showed that he had undoubtedly meant every word.

"I don't think I like what you are saying," she forced her voice to remain calm, inwardly debating whether she should walk away from him or continue the dance.

He did not seem perturbed in the slightest. "You may like it or you may not, but it is the truth. Knowing how much Snape used to get around in the past, I never believed he would resist all these young girls cooped up with him for nine months of the year, completely at his mercy. Admittedly, cousin Severus is very good at covering his tracks, but this time he got caught, and with a Gryffindor to boot."

She was seeing red, and her hand twitched to slap him, but then her eyes accidentally landed on her mother dancing with Severus. Mrs. Granger was laughing at something, and the sight of her smiling face somewhat cleared the fog of rage. With mammoth effort, Hermione forced a smile. "Why don't you share these thoughts with Severus? I'm sure he would be more than happy to discuss your theory. I, however, find the subject somewhere between ridiculous and boring."

Senelius gave her a pointed look. "You are an interesting little thing," he commented thoughtfully. "Not a typical Gryffindor."

"How insightful of you! Should I tell my husband that you have paid me a compliment?"

"Watch your tongue, girl. You may have sat in Snape's classroom for a few years, but don't try to compete in verbal warfare with a Prince."

"Ah, but you are forgetting, dear cousin, that it's she who is a Prince now, whilst you remain a Polward." Both dancers jumped at the silky drawl of Severus Snape behind them.

Senelius's face blanched, but then his lips twisted into a smile. "That might be true for now, but I'm still your heir, and, until she bears you a child, that will remain so. And knowing how you spend your free time, there is a good chance neither of you might live long enough."

It was Hermione's turn to pale. This man was truly vile, more so than Malfoy and Parkinson put together. Thankfully, the dance was finished, and she immediately stepped away from Senelius and went to stand by her husband. Inwardly, she was shaking with rage, and Severus must have guessed it, as his hand firmly wrapped around her waist and his cold, black eyes fixed on his relative.

"I think you should go home, Senelius. You are no longer welcomed here."

Polward sneered. "Oh, spare me, Snape. I was never welcomed here and now I am so glad of the fact, since you brought a Gryffindor Mudblood into the house. The Princes are turning in their graves as we speak."

With these words, he turned and headed towards the exit. Hermione thought that Severus would say something or hex him, but he remained standing next to her, his expression blank and his eyes guarded, watching his relative leave.

"He was terribly rude," Mrs. Granger said. "Why is he so bitter?"

"As a teenager, he was treated like royalty and brought up to inherit the Prince's fortune, only to lose it all when he was nineteen to some half-blood upstart that he was taught to despise all his life."

"And for that, he hates you." Hermione was glad that she had caught up on the Prince family history.

"Yes," Severus's voice was devoid of emotion.

"So, why was he invited to your wedding?"

Severus looked her in the face. "Because he's still my heir and I can't disown him. The wizarding rules of inheritance are complicated. I was not born an heir and, therefore, I don't have the same powers. However, any child of mine would be a born Prince heir and, thus, would have a complete control over the family once he or she came of age. For now, though, as a Muggle saying says, 'It's better to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'"

Hours later, Severus Snape was laying in bed with his wife, sweetly asleep with her head on his shoulder. Though the wizard was tired, he could not sleep; his brain was too active to allow following Hermione into a slumber.

It wasn't like he had never spent a night in bed with a woman, but it was always after having sex. This time, however, Hermione was so tired that she fell asleep instantly the moment her head hit the pillow. The thought of her being a permanent fixture in his bed was strange, but he was sure he would get used to it in time, just like to so many other things.

He was proud of the way she had behaved today, navigating her way through complicated wizarding customs with apparent ease and elegance. However, he did not underestimate what it had cost her, and her pale face reminded him again just how young she was. A generation behind him, and, though on the scale of wizarding life span the difference was not terrible, the gap in life experiences between them was truly staggering.

Even that could be fixed in due course. Unfortunately, time was one thing they didn't have. A few months, perhaps a year, was all that was available to them, and Severus kept racking his brain how to minimise the damage. Of course, as his widow, she would be financially secure, even if she would not inherit the title, but the widow of a hated killer was not the title that was a proviso for a long and happy life. A good example was Narcissa Malfoy.

Thinking of the latter, he did not like her behaviour that night, and her words left him puzzled. Narcissa caught him just as Hermione was saying goodbye to her parents and asked him to escort her to the Apparition point. It was not an unusual request, and Severus could not refuse her in front of all the guests. As they walked away from the Manor, both were quiet, and, when Severus was ready to breathe a sigh of relief, Narcissa stopped and stretched out her hand to him. It was obvious that she was expecting him to kiss her knuckles, which was, again, not an uncommon goodbye.

As Severus bowed over her hand, he was surprised to feel Narcissa fingers gently running through his hair. "Everything will be well, my Severus," her whisper could barely be heard. "You will live a long and happy life."

He nearly jerked to his full height and eyed her suspiciously. "Between the Headmaster and you, Narcissa, you will forgive me if I doubt your words."

The blue eyes he knew so well glimmered at him from the darkness, but the voice that spoke to him lost its hidden pain and returned to the melodic tone of the haughtier wife of Lucius Malfoy. "You should have more faith in those who love you, Severus, including your young wife." She swirled on the spot and was gone the next moment.

Now that Severus lay in bed, these words haunted him. Over his life, Severus learned to trust Narcissa's cunningness. Sometimes she was more of a Slytherin than Lucius.

Severus cast a silent _Tempus_ and sighed. It was nearly three am; he had to go to sleep if he wanted to be in a decent mood in the morning. Knowing how mean he could be from lack of sleep, and, without any students to serve as an outlet to his anger, it would be prudent not to start his married life with a fight.

Severus sighed and gently rolled Hermione to the other side of the bed. It would take him some time to get used to all this hair…

He could not have been asleep for more than a couple of hours, when a searing pain in his right hand made him bolt upright. Hermione was also jolted awake by his sudden movement and it took her a moment to register where she was.

By the time she came to her senses, Severus was already out of bed and quickly pulling his trousers on.

"Go back to sleep," he said, buttoning up his shirt. "It's still very early."

"You've been summoned?" her question sounded more like a statement.

"The Dark Lord is an early riser. It is not uncommon for him to summon his followers before sunrise."

His casual tone did nothing to deter her fears, and he could feel her worried eyes following his every move.

"Does he want to talk about me?" she asked again.

Severus shrugged. "It is likely but not necessarily so. I have not seen the Dark Lord in about three days, so only Merlin knows what he's been up to."

He finished dressing, and, with a flick of his fingers, Agi appeared holding what Hermione guessed were his Death Eater robes and mask. Severus put the robes on and held his mask in his hand. "Go back to bed," he told Hermione again. "I don't know how long I will be but Agi will be able to help you with anything." He turned to go, but a soft voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Please be careful, Severus. Come back to me safely."

He turned and saw pleading brown eyes staring at him. They were full of emotion, - concern, fear, and something else that he did not have time to decipher. With a simple nod, he closed the door behind him and quickly walked through the Manor to the Apparition point, using the time to clear his head and organise his thoughts.

The Dark Lord was seated in a comfortable chair in front of a floor to ceiling bay window. A low table with a coffee set for two was placed between him and another large chair still unoccupied. It was a perfect setting for an audience and Snape was momentarily relieved that he did not have to deal with the other Death Eaters at this early hour. Approaching the Dark Lord without unnecessary haste, Severus stopped just a few meters away, bowing his head and waiting for his Master to acknowledge his presence.

"Severus," Voldemort's voice sounded like a rustle of leaves, "have I interrupted your enjoyment with your new bride?"

"There was not much to interrupt, my Lord," Snape's voice sounded calm and bored. "She has extended herself too much during the celebration and fell asleep."

"How disappointing for you," Voldemort's chuckle was more like sandpaper scraping glass. "And you behaved like a perfect gentleman, of course?"

Severus shrugged his shoulders. "I don't find violating women exciting, My Lord. Rabastan enjoys it, but I find a willing woman much more pleasing."

"Yes, I am aware of your preferences, and, though a lot of my followers find it strange, I don't mind how you fulfil your urges. However, I do remember that in the past you had developed a soft spot for another Gryffindor Mudblood, and I would not want to have a repeat of the same."

"Neither do I, my Lord. However, I do not foresee this as a threat. My bride is an acceptable bed-mate, but in everything else there is an entirely too bigger gap between us. As you well know, my Lord, I don't like children of any age."

The red eyes bore into his, but the Dark Lord didn't try to penetrate his mind this time. Instead, he motioned with his bony hand towards the chair. Severus inclined his head again and then proceeded to take a seat.

"I heard that the Mudblood was very disappointed that Potter didn't attend the celebrations at Prince Manor?" he said.

"Yes, my Lord, the news upset her."

"Do you think she would seek to rebuild their friendship?"

Severus's lips twisted into a smirk. "She might try, but he's not going to be receptive to this. Not as long as she is with me."

"And would she reject you in order to please Potter?"

Severus pretended to think this question over for a moment. "I would doubt that, my Lord. She has very strong convictions and has been at odds with Potter and Weasley in the past over her actions that she thought were right. She chose me as her husband and has taken a bride's oath. Unless I push her away, she will stand by me."

It was Voldemort's turn to be quiet for a moment. He took a sip of his coffee and Severus allowed himself to do the same, knowing that this conversation was far from over.

"What about the girl's feelings, Severus? Why has she chosen you as a husband?"

Voldemort had already asked this question in the past when Severus first talked to him about marrying Hermione, but the Potion Master was not about to remind the Dark Lord about that conversation. The snake-like wizard had a perfect memory and had never forgotten a single conversation with his Death Eaters.

"I believe, my Lord, that she did it because, as a know-it-all, she wanted to continue her education and was looking to marry somebody residing at Hogwarts. I also think that she was looking for protection and rightly feels that none of the students could offer her such. She did not give much thought to Potter's potential reaction, believing that their 'friendship' would prevail. As we have seen, she was mistaken on this one."

The Dark Lord nodded his head and then his red eyes bore into Severus's. "So, she views you as her protector. Do you think that this feeling could grow into something more substantial?"

This time, Severus did have to think over his response. With each passing moment he was more and more convinced that Voldemort's questions were leading somewhere very specific, and that the Dark Lord had a mission for him to complete. Severus could also bet his entire fortune that he would not like this task one bit.

"Forgive me, my Lord," he said, "if I understood you wrongly, but, if you are asking if the girl could fall in love with me, then I am not sure of the answer. Her feelings have so far not been a concern for me and I did not plan to move beyond being civil with her so as not to provoke the Headmaster."

Voldemort's thin lips stretched into what he would call a smile, but it looked more like a scowling skull. "But you like a willing woman in your bed, Severus. How does that work with just being 'civil.'"

"In my experience, my Lord, pleasurable physiological reactions do not require feelings."

This time, Voldemort laughed, and Severus allowed his lips to twitch.

"Touché, Severus. I always liked your acerbic sense of humour. However," his expression sobered, "I do want you to consider this further. I have learned recently, that you are quite a charmer with women, and the Mudblood is young and naïve. She could be made to love you, could she not?"

"Perhaps," the Potion's Master replied carefully, "but of what benefit would that be, my Lord? You have never believed love to be remotely useful."

His red eyes glimmered with anger and Severus hastened to add, "Forgive me, my Lord, I did not mean to bring up bad memories…"

"I do not have to answer you, Severus, but I will humour you this time. I have recently been pondering the weapons used in the past against me." His eyes burned with hatred. "I took it upon myself to study them and have conducted some experiments and learned that a 'woman in love' is capable of some interesting actions to protect the object of her affection. If your wife was to truly love you, and if she was given a choice between you and Potter, who would she choose?"

Severus's mind was reeling. This was the trap that Voldemort had set for him. Saying nothing was not an option. The Dark Lord never made such statements without having all the facts, and Severus did not really want to dwell on how exactly the Dark Lord had conducted his experiments, knowing full well that it likely involved a loss of life.

If Severus was to say that Hermione would choose Potter, he would be greatly diminishing the value of both himself and Hermione to the Dark Lord, which could have serious repercussions for them. If he was to allow the possibility of this plan to be successful, he would ensure that both Hermione and he remained of great interest for some time and, hence, ensure their safety; but the future would hold a very serious danger for his new wife.

Making a split-second decision, he bowed his head. "If I am permitted to be honest, my Lord?" At Voldemort's nod, Severus continued smoothly, "Predicting actions of a teenage witch is an ungrateful task. I believe it would be worth trying to see whether what you are suggesting could be achieved or not. I must admit, it has been a while since I dealt with an adolescent in such capacity, so it might take some time but I am, as always, ready to follow your orders."

"Then there is no time to waste." Voldemort's eyes glimmered. "You should return to your Mudblood bride."

It was a clear dismissal, so Severus raised himself from the chair. He bowed his head again. "Is there anything else that I need to know to fulfil your task? Any specifics that would be useful?"

"Not at the moment, Severus, just make sure that Granger develops strong feelings towards you; strong enough to ensure that she will always choose your wellbeing over anybody else's. Your success could be a way to ensure the interests and safety of so many."

Knowing that he would not find out anything else, the dark-haired wizard left and Apparated straight back to his Manor. However, instead of going inside, he took a walk to the lake that was part of the estate.

He knew that he should go to Dumbledore to immediately report as was agreed between them, but he had to think things over first. This information mostly concerned himself and his wife and, only afterwards, the Order of the Phoenix. It was also proof that the Headmaster was wrong in his underestimating Voldemort.

Dumbledore believed that love was something that the Dark Lord could not comprehend and always dismissed Severus's warnings that the 'power of love' could be played by both sides. Voldemort might not be capable of feeling love, but it did not stop him from trying to apply the weapon that was once used against him so successfully. And, as his bad luck went, Severus now found himself in the middle of the Dark Lord's plans, and this time he was not alone. Hermione was firmly in the spot light.

Of course, it was partially her own doing for choosing him as her husband, but he firmly felt that Dumbledore was as much at fault. Deciding that passing blame was not the most constructive way to solve the problem at hand, Severus tried to analyse the situation objectively.

The key issue was to win some time. It was the beginning of November; there were a mere seven months left before the end of the year, and, after that, if everything was to go according to plan, Voldemort would have different ideas to occupy himself with.

All Severus had to do was make sure that he kept his wife at arm's length without anybody noticing it. The difficulty was that openly alienating Hermione was not an option. Both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord would find out and have his head. However, treating her well was too risky, since he already noticed that his young wife seemed to truly care about him.

Severus's lips twisted into a bitter smirk. It was time for some Slytherin subtlety. His wife was a true Gryffindor who wore her heart on her sleeve. They could take hate and anger but were not good in dealing with cold indifference.

With a grim smile, Severus rose and slowly walked to his chambers. He was not surprised to find Hermione not asleep but sitting in bed trying to read. She rushed to him and he felt the warmth of her embrace enveloping him. He did not push her away, but his hands firmly remained by his sides. When she looked up at him, all she saw was a blank face and emotionless eyes. Her face fell and the dark wizard squashed the guilty feeling in his heart. It was for the best…

Hi All. I am really sorry it took me so long to write another chapter. Life has been very hectic and I've been literally writing this paragraph by paragraph over many weeks. Thank you all for submitting reviews-they did help me not to give up completely. So I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Reviews as always are very welcome.

Now betaed by CRMediaGal.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

The wards dropped the moment her hand touched the concealed door handle, and Hermione proceeded through a long corridor. A whispered password and a wave of her wand later, she was finally in her quarters - their quarters, she mentally corrected herself - dungeon residence of the Snapes.

A warm fire greeted her, and she was once again grateful to the house-elves for learning her timetable and always making sure that the dungeons were nice and welcoming when she came back from her classes. Her husband was nowhere in sight, but, after a month of being married, it did not surprise her.

Severus was usually out either teaching or grading, supervising detentions, and dealing with his Slytherins. Hermione had always known that teachers at Hogwarts were very busy, but she could never have imagined the amount of work involved. On top of it all, the Potions Master spent significant time brewing potions, taking care of the Prince's estate and Order business, and usually returned to his quarters just before curfew, only to quickly disappear for patrol duties.

After the first week of being married, and when she only saw her husband at meal times whilst sitting next to him at the head table in the Great Hall, she gathered enough courage to question his constant absence. Instead of snapping at her, as she had expected, he responded in a way that had become his trademark ever since their first morning as a married couple. He was respectful and distant.

With cold politeness, Severus informed his young wife that he was a very busy man and she would have to get used to spending time on her own. He was attentive enough to suggest that she might occupy herself by getting some new books from his private collection; or peruse any catalogue of owl mail available in the wizarding world from designer clothes and jewellery to obscure scripts and luxury quills.

His response puzzled her, but she tried to squash the disappointment that welled inside her. It was easy enough to achieve when the dark wizard pulled her into bed, his skilful moves easily bringing her to an explosive orgasm. When she woke up the next morning, she found herself alone in their bed. However, on her night stand, there was a beautiful diamond necklace. That cheered her up, as she assumed that it was his way of apologising to her, but her joy was short lived.

Over the next three weeks, Hermione discovered that her husband was more than happy to spend any amount of money on her but completely unwilling to share his life beyond the basic cohabitation in his quarters and weekly trysts in his bed. Even these intimate encounters, though very satisfying physically, made Hermione yearn for something she had not experienced since losing her virginity to him.

It was a connection of spirits that was missing from the equation. Severus never talked to her anymore while they had sex. His eyes, as well as his mouth, were firmly shut, and Hermione, with all her inexperience, could not shake the feeling that he never allowed himself to lose control while being with her. She could not fault him, as he never did anything that remotely hurt her, and always made sure she reached her peak; but that complete restraint of his own passions left her feeling lacking and emotionally unsatisfied.

Outside the bedroom, he treated her with formal respect - opening doors and pulling out chairs. He showered her with gifts, mostly expensive jewellery and rare books. He even gave her complete freedom to spend her time as she wanted, which was rare for pureblood marriages. His only condition was that she didn't spend time alone with any males. He never questioned her on what she did during the day, and, with every passing day, she was more and more convinced that he simply did not give a damn.

The most suspicious part of all of this was that, in the four weeks they had been married, he hadn't snapped at her once. He was still his same scowling self in classes, and his vitriol was just as sharp judging by the student conversations, in which a number of points were taken off and detentions awarded. However, with her, he was impeccably polite, as if the fire in him was extinguished the moment he was in her presence. It reminded Hermione of how he ignored her after his proposal, and, though now he did not purposefully look through her, his gaze was blank and his voice was steady and dull as a brick.

It made Hermione want to scream. When she first noticed his behaviour, she remembered Narcissa's words that Snape would not trust her easily. So, she tried to show him that she cared for him. She found out from the house-elves what his favourite food was and surprised him one weekend with a home-cooked meal. She made sure that ,when he arrived, the lights were dimmed just as he liked them and that there was a pot of tea and some wine waiting for him. She asked about his day but made a conscious effort not to bombard him with questions, knowing he disliked too much chatter. All her attempts gained absolutely zero response.

He disinterestedly nibbled at the dinner, refused to have a drink - citing being tired as a reason - and provided monosyllabic answers to her questions. With every day she got more and more down, and last Friday she could not hide how upset she was any longer. It was to be a Hogsmeade weekend, and she knew that Severus wasn't on duty. When she asked him about their plans, he shrugged his shoulders and suggested that she should go into the village with her friends and do some shopping while he went into London on business. To her request of going with him, he just raised an eyebrow and commented that sometimes it was good to get some alone time.

Such a callous response made Hermione speechless, causing a mixture of anger and hurt. Unbidden tttears fell from her eyes, and, when her husband offered her some calming draughts, she couldn't stand it anymore and stormed out after screaming at him that she didn't need his potions. Her outburst did not change anything; when she returned an hour later, he spoke to her in a composed tone and suggested that she should get a good night's sleep.

To add to her misery was the fact that she had nobody to confide in or ask for advice. Ron and Harry were off limits to her, not that she was that keen to see Ron anyway, but not spending time with Harry was hard. Over the last month, all they managed were a few chats in the Room of Requirement late at night, when Severus was patrolling and Harry had used his invisibility clock.

In public, she spent most of her time on her own or with Ginny, but, since they had different classes and Hermione no longer lived in Gryffindor Tower or ate at the student table, this time was equally brief. All of this made Hermione feel incredibly lonely, and, though she tried to put on a brave face, she had to admit that it was getting harder by the day.

Now with a week to go before the Christmas break, Hermione was at the end of her tether. She loved Christmas and greatly enjoyed the atmosphere of the holidays, sparkly decorations, presents, and mountains of food.

Being married in the wizarding world meant freedom. She didn't have to take the train with the rest of the students. She and Severus could spend some time away from Hogwarts and perhaps visit Paris or Munich, one of the beautiful Christmas markets, and then go to her parents on Christmas Eve.

The main issue, if she was honest with herself, was that she wanted to spend time with her husband. She wanted to sit next to him in their quarters, to go out with him, touch him and kiss him and be touched and kissed by him in return. And not just once a week during sex but those little everyday caresses that were customary among married couples. She wanted to talk to him about her day and listen to him talk about his. She wanted to wake up in his arms on the weekend and have breakfast in bed and listen to his velvety tones while she played with his black hair.

She wanted all these things and her heart ached at the realisation that he did not want any of them with her. Hermione was not stupid; she didn't think that Severus loved her when they got married, but in the last weeks before the wedding, and on the day itself, she had a feeling that Severus started to open up to her. He seemed to be willing to try to get to know her and allowed her to witness his sarcastic sense of humour and the spark in his eyes that made her insides flutter. But now it looked like the shutters had come down; or had they never been open? Was her wishful thinking that made her see things in the first place?

Over the last month, she had gone over every conversation and glance, trying to understand what happened. Was he angry at her for something? Had she said something that he might have interpreted wrong? Asking him didn't help, as he simply denied it. In her despair, she even wondered whether it was Voldemort that put some sort of curse on him, but casting discreet detection spells revealed nothing, and Hermione was pretty sure that if Severus was cursed, Dumbledore would have noticed it.

Her reverie was interrupted by her husband arriving to their chambers. It was earlier than expected, and Hermione lifted her head.

"Good evening," he greeted her calmly. "I am here just for a moment; I promised Flitwick a book from my personal library.

"Of course." She didn't bother to hide her tiredness and sadness.

Severus paused momentarily. His wife looked pale and exhausted, her eyes weary and dull. He had seen her at dinner only half an hour ago and she looked so much better. Such a quick transition could only be due to a glamour spell. This made Severus feel really guilty.

When he came up with his plan, he didn't really count on such a severe reaction from Hermione. He had thought that the first week would be the worst when she looked at him with that warm expression that he refused to name and had to squander again and again. Seeing her now so down and miserable made it even worth.

In the darkness of the night, when she would finally fall asleep, she would turn to him, nuzzling her face into his side and sometimes murmuring his name. There was a voice in his head that told him that it wasn't working, that he was too late He refused to think further, instead resolutely turning away from her, reciting the next day's lecture in his mind.

Severus knew that he was acting like a complete bastard but did not know what else to do, other than to carry on with his plan. For Merlin's sake, there would come a point when she would give up on him.

"Hermione, are you ill?" he asked, telling himself that he was only interested because, if she had fallen ill, neither Dumbledore, nor the Dark Lord, would go easy on him.

"No, Severus, I am not ill; just tired." She did not look at him.

"Would you like a Pepper Up Potion?"

"As you wish."

He brought her a phial, and Hermione took it without question. Her face screwed up from the taste and she put the glass on the table.

"I wanted to ask you about Christmas," she spoke, figuring out that there was no point delaying. He lifted his eyebrow in response. "What are your plans for the holidays?"

"I am not sure," he replied. "What would you like to do?"

Her heart fluttered, but she tried not to get her hopes up. "I was thinking we might go away; go to Paris or somewhere and maybe visit my parents."

The internal battle inside him only lasted for a moment. "I don't think I'll be able to get away from Hogwarts, but I am more than happy to escort you to your parents. You could spend some time with them."

She was prepared for this response; it did not surprise her in the slightest, and the hollow feeling in her chest was just a coincidence. "You don't want to spend Christmas with me?" The words were out before she could stop them, and she bit her lip to prevent any more spilling out.

"I don't like festive holidays, Hermione. You would have no fun with me; much better to spend time with your family."

She lifted her eyes to him, and, for the first time, Severus felt uncomfortable under her gaze. "You are my family."

"What I meant to say is you would be happier with your parents."

She finished scrutinising him, and Severus sighed with relief as she lowered her gaze. His reprieve was short lived. "Do you really hate me that much?"

He stopped in his tracks. "I think we have established already that I do not hate you."

"Then why are you treating me like this?"

"I have been nothing but cordial."

Merlin, how much she wanted to tell him to shove his cordiality where the sun did not shine! But that would accomplish nothing. Instead, Hermione remembered everything that Narcissa Malfoy had ever told her, and, with an epic effort, kept her anger in check.

"Severus, I am not trying to pick a fight. I just want to understand. And don't insult my intelligence by pretending that nothing is wrong. I have known you for the last six years. Ever since my first day at Hogwarts, you could be hurtful - even cruel - but you were never indifferent… I mean, you were cold and distant, but there was always something behind your eyes; some feeling. Your hatred of Harry, pretended or not, was emotional. Your sarcasm, your taunting-I could sense your personality in it. But now… God, now there is nothing left."

She paused, trying to keep her composure, but the dam of her emotions cracked, and she could not stop the flow of words. "You look through me; you shut me out so completely that I can't see anything behind the façade. You are polite, you shower me with gifts, and you have not sneered at me in the last month. You pull chairs out and open doors, but you are more distant than you have ever been. With every passing day, you are further and further away from me, and I don't know what I did to deserve this. Of course, I forced you to marry me, and if you wish to punish me for this, then just do it. Insult me, shout at me, hex me - anything other than this indifference."

Severus just stared at her. When did this teenage girl turn into a woman? She was sounding so much older than her years. Seeing that his eyes were, for once, focused on her, Hermione continued, "I understand that you were angry with me, but just before our wedding you seemed to not be opposed to trying to get to know each other. The vows you suggested made me so happy, but ever since the morning when he summoned you, something has changed. What happened? Did he curse you?"

This was way too close to the truth. Severus responded almost automatically, "Don't be ridiculous. Do you think the Headmaster would have allowed me to roam around Hogwarts if I had been cursed?"

"Then, what is it?"

When he did not respond, she stepped closer to him and grasped his hand in hers. Brown eyes stared at him beseechingly. "Please, Severus, tell me the truth. If you look me in the face and tell me that your behaviour for the last month was just because you want nothing to do with me, I'll leave you alone; but if there is another reason behind this, and you are simply trying to keep me away for my own safety, then please understand that it's too late. I am your wife and I care for you deeply, much more deeply than I have ever imagined possible. Even if you tell me that you don't want to ever see me again, I will still care for you."

Severus stood frozen. His many years of experience as a spy were failing him, and all he could manage was to keep his expression neutral while he desperately thought about what he should do. Before he had a chance to say anything, his left arm burnt, and he could not stifle a hiss. Hermione's head immediately perked up. "Are you being summoned?"

He nodded, pulling his hand out of her grasp and heading to their bedroom to retrieve his mask and robe. When he returned to the living room, he saw her standing near the fireplace wringing her finger together.

"Please be careful," her voice shook.

"I always am." He was about to go, but her hand on his back stopped him.

"I had a dream; a nightmare. You were caught, and he tortured you." Her voice shook, and he knew she was crying. "I don't want you to go. What if something happens to you? What will I do?"

The burning on his arm had subsided, but it began to sting again. "You will be fine," he replied. "Your friends and Dumbledore will protect you."

"I don't want them to protect me," she cried out, and he was forced to turn. She forcefully pulled on his cloak. "I want you to protect me, to be with me. I don't mind that you don't love me, but I love you and that should count for something."

He stiffened. It could not be. "You don't mean that." It came out before he could stop himself.

"To hell I don't," she spat. "It might not be something you want to hear, but it does not mean it's not true. Please, Severus, if you treat me like this because you don't want me to love you, then it's too late."

Severus felt like he had been stabbed in the chest, and his arm was killing him by now. He couldn't have this conversation now- not before facing the Dark Lord.

"I have to go," he said. "I will be back, and we will talk then."

Her features crumpled again. Not knowing what else to do, and acting on impulse, he pulled her face to his and kissed her, just like he wanted to for the last four weeks. It was dominant and raw. When he pulled away, her eyes were glazed over and her lips were dark red and open. "I will be back," he repeated, and, with one last look, he left the room.

**Hi. Thank you all for reviewing and waiting for the next chapter. Here it is. I hope you enjoy it and your reviews are always very welcome. They truly help me continue with the story. Thank you again. **

Now betaed by CRMediaGal.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

This time when Snape bowed to greet his master, the Dark Lord had been surrounded not only by the inner circle of his Death Eaters but also a number of the recent enlists that had been recruited already after his return. The latter stood along the walls making sure to keep quiet and not stand out too much.

"Severus, it took you a long time to answer my summons," Voldemort hissing voice conveyed his displeasure very well.

Snape kept his head lowered, "My apologies, My Lord, but I had to deal with my wife. She was," he allowed himself a barely there sneer, "a touch clingy".

"Ah," Voldemort's eyes glimmered, "finally some progress, I was beginning to doubt you," red gaze bored into Severus but the Potion's Master kept his expression neutral. "Anything worth sharing with me?"

Snape knew very well what was expected of him and lifted his eyes allowing his Master to penetrate his mind. The Dark Lord watched the young Gryffindor witch holding onto Snape's cloak and beginning him not to go, her crumpled face as her husband kissed her and promised to return and then a view of Hermione sliding to the floor, tears running down her face as the door closed. Pulling out of Snape's mind Voldemort leaned back in his throne, "I can see now that your skill was not misjudged and you are, indeed, a loyal servant" he stated. A slight emphasis in the last words told Severus that this comment was directed at somebody in the room and he didn't doubt for a second that it was Bellatrix that was trying to seed doubt in the Dark Lord's mind.

"Thank you, My Lord," the Potions Master bowed his head again and following a wave of the bony hand stepped to the side. He had enough experience of the Death Eaters' gathering to know that this was going to be a long night.

XXX

Hermione was curled up in a chair, in front of a fire with a book and a cup of tea. Her eyes were dutifully moving over the pages and she regularly took small sips of her drink. These everyday mundane actions helped her to somewhat curb her nerves.

Of course, she had to reread each paragraph at least twice and cast a warming spell on her tea a few times but it was better than pacing the floor, waiting for her husband to return.

It had already been three hours since Severus had left and her heart was getting heavier by the minute. It was through the sheer force of will that she did not allow panic to set in and kept herself focused solely on the content of the book.

Once her tea got completely cold again, Hermione tossed the book away knowing that she would not be able to ignore her fear any longer. Should she alert Dumbledore or had he already known that Snape had been summoned? If she were to go to the Headmaster, would Severus get angry with her and once again be reminded how she had forced her way into his life? But if she didn't seek help and he was hurt, would consequences of her hesitation be fatal?

Exasperated Hermione flung herself on the couch. She hated not knowing what to do. The young woman pressed her fingers to her temples trying to think clearly. Just then there was a loud cracking noise and a house elf in a familiar silver trimmed green towel appeared in the middle of the room making Hermione jump in her place. However, her attention was immediately diverted to a black clad figure next to the tiny creature. Severus Snape winced from the loud sound but was immensely grateful that Adi apparated him next to the chair so that he could lean against its back as his aching body finally refused to be abused any longer and he slid to the floor.

"Severus," Hermione rushed to her husband's side pulling out her wand, "Severus. Can you hear me?"

"Stop screeching, woman, there is nothing wrong with my ears."

She had never been happier to be an object of his barb but the quietness of his rasp worried her. "Where are you hurt?" her eyes searched his even paler than normal features. "Should I call Madam Pomfrey?"

"No," his fingers grasped her wrist. "No Pomfrey. Adi will show you my potions cupboard and I will direct you in administering them."

Hermione nodded, and though she was not convinced, the young witch did not want to argue with him. Instead she stood up and raised her wand, "Hold on, I will levitate you to the bed."

Snape really wanted to object but he was too tired and the idea of having to get up and walk even if it was just a couple of feet to his bedroom did not appeal to him in the slightest. He almost groaned in relief when after a few minutes his body was gently lowered onto the mattress and his wife went on to carefully remove his outer clothes and boots.

Hermione took extreme care in moving Severus about while taking off his cloak and cravat. She was not sure what kind of injuries he sustained; there was no visible signs of blood anywhere. But when she took off his neck tie and unbuttoned the shirt, she had to stifle a gasp. His upper torso was covered in bruises and deep scratches of different sizes.

"What potions do you need?" she forced her voice to sound calm.

"First a pain relief potion from a blue vial and then healing salve from a brown one."

Adi brought her a large chest filled to the brim with bottles of every colour and shape. Hermione quickly located what she needed and first uncorked the pain relief potion. She then shifted on the bed, carefully lifting the wizard so he could drink the liquid. Severus sagged back into the pillows feeling how the potion began its work immediately, making it easier for him to breath.

In the meantime Hermione opened the salve that looked very different from what she had seen in Hogwarts' Infirmary. "For my personal use only," Snape's voice had regained some of its silkiness. "You only need to apply a very small amount."

She scooped a small dollop of the paste and carefully spread it on his chest not wanting to hurt him. Even if he did feel pain, the dark wizard did not show it, his face remaining impassive and his breathing even. Hermione rubbed the mixture over every mark she could reach and asked him to turn, which to her relief he did with very little help.

His back sustained a lot less damage. There was just one very large bruise and she only had to dip into the jar a couple of times though the young witch could not stop herself from running her hands along his muscles a few more times, just to feel their solid warmth. Telling herself not to be so selfish, she asked him to turn again and proceeded to unbutton his trousers and pulling them off revealing the usual black boxer shorts.

Snape's legs appeared again mostly untouched but Hermione carefully inspected them to make sure that she did her job properly. When she shifted back to the top of the bed she noticed that Severus had his eyes open and was looking at her intently.

She couldn't stop herself from blushing, "Is there anything else I can do?"

"No, you've done very well. Time and rest will finish the job."

"Would you like Dreamless Sleep?"

"No, it's not advisable in such situations." Seeing her unsure face, he explained, "Cruciatus affects the nerves systems, so does Dreamless Sleep. It's better to avoid mixing the effects and let it heal naturally."

At his words Hermione blanched. "Were you…" she could not finish but he understood her without words.

"Nothing related to your dream. Just some basic duelling practice," seeing her disbelieving face, he chuckled, "Bellatrix can be a formidable opponent when she's pissed and young recruits are always keen to show off."

Her eyes grew wide as saucers. "How many did you fight?"

"At once?" he raised an eyebrow, "No more than five or six. But we had a few rounds one after another. Bella did most of the damage but nothing that won't heal in the next day or so. Trust me, she's feeling a lot worse at the moment."

His comment made Hermione feel sick to the core and she could not stop from asking. "And how often do you engage in such practices?"

"Do you really want to know?" he asked and she knew that her reaction did not go unnoticed by him. She mentally cursed herself. The last thing she wanted was for him to shut her out again because of her squeamishness.

"Yes," she willed her eyes to convey her sincerity and after a few short moments of tense silence, he seemed to relent. "Young recruits do it all the time but usually without my participation. The last time I took part must have been over a year ago."

Hermione would have loved to ask more questions but she did not want to tire him any longer. "If not, Dreamless Sleep, can I get you something else, maybe a cup of camomile tea?"

Snape just shook his head, "Thank you, but I am plenty tired as it is. And you should go to bed as well. It's very late."

Hermione nodded. Now that adrenaline rush had passed, she felt exhausted and was glad to crawl into bed next to him. The lights dimmed and she knew he had cast nonverbal spell. The relative darkness and silence that followed made her crave some comfort and deciding that she had nothing to lose, she moved closer to him, grabbing his hand in hers and nuzzling his shoulder. To her delight long fingers wrapped around her palm, his thumb caressing the underside of her wrist. Soon both Snapes were fast asleep.

XXX

Wormtail slipped into a library where the Dark Lord was reading.

"How is Bella?" Voldemort did not bother to look up from his book.

"She is sleeping, My Lord. Snape was quite thorough with her but you know that he would never disobey your commands to not use spells with long lasting damage."

Red eyes lifted and pinned the rat-like man in the spot, "And you are sure your curse has reached Severus?"

Wormtail bowed, "I have no doubt, My Lord. I did everything as you instructed and saw the spell hit him. He would not have noticed it either since I timed it to one of Bella's curses and aimed it just a little bit lower on his back."

Thin lips stretched into a smirk, "Well, then just about now, Severus should be enjoying himself."

Wormtail's eyes lit up with curiosity but he stayed silent knowing that prying into the Dark Lord's plans usually did not result in anything good.

"You may ask your question, Wormtail," Voldemort leaned back in his chair.

"I just wanted to know, My Lord, why did you want Severus to be cursed with such slow developing _Fertilis Tentigo_ [Author's note: _Fertilis Tentigo_ is Latin for Fertile Lust]. He's already married the mudblood and I am sure has bedded her many times."

"I have no doubt about that," the Dark Lord smiled. "But this curse is not about Severus. When he returns to his wife injured, she would tend to his wounds, care for him and it would be good to cement her feelings by making him bed her. The _Tentigo_ curse would ensure he is in the right mood."

"Of course, My Lord." Wormtail allowed himself a sneer. Cursing Snape was a real pleasure, which Peter had last experienced during their school days. Ever since Snape had become a Death Eater, he had always been too much in Voldemort's good graces to be confronted openly and too powerful and sneaky to be challenged surreptitiously. These pleasant musings were interrupted by his master.

"And no gloating, Wormtail, I want this to remain a complete secret, is that clear?"

"Of course, My Lord," the rat-like man bowed and scurried away as his master waved him off.

Xxxxxxxx

Severus woke up from a very realistic and incredibly arousing dream. In it, Hermione was tied down to the bed writhing under his touches and caresses, calling his name as her body arched like a bow.

Taking in his surroundings, the wizard realised that he was lying in his own bed, his blankets kicked off and his erection rock hard. His wife was curled around him, her cheek pressed into his shoulder and her arm still holding his. Each puff of her breath reached his skin and made his cock twitch in anticipation.

Severus silently cursed. He did not want to wake up Hermione by moving as she was a light sleeper but being so close to her did nothing to alleviate his current predicament. Closing his eyes, he focused on reciting instructions for a particular dull and complicated potion but his efforts were futile. With every ingredient that he forced himself to remember-his brain provided pictures of his wife, naked and ready to be taken.

The potions master gave up on his mental exercise and instead tried to carefully move away from Hermione. He was glad to notice that his wounds did not bother him. Severus managed to extricate himself from the bed and headed to the bathroom to get his body under control. Splashing cold water into his face and hands did not help and the dark wizard resorted to getting into the shower and turning the water to cold. Shivering under the freezing stream, his mind questioned why he was going to such length to rid himself of an erection when he had his lawfully wedded wife sleeping just a few feet away.

But Severus did not survive nearly twenty years as a spy by making hasty decisions. And he meant every word when he told Hermione that they would talk on his return. Her confession unsettled him greatly though he wasn't surprised. It confirmed his suspicion that his plan was not working but he had not yet decided on the alternative path. Sleeping with her, though highly pleasurable, would not be the most constructive way to making such a decision. Thankfully, the cold shower had its effect and Severus sighed with relief switching it off.

Hermione woke up from the sound of water running in the bathroom. She cast a quick Tempus and realised that it was only three in the morning, and she was surprised that her husband was taking a shower in such ungodly hour. Before she could decide what to do, the door opened and the dark haired wizard walked in wearing his usual black bathrobe that was haphazardly tied by a loose knot.

"Severus?" Hermione raised herself in bed. "Are you alright?"

He started to say that he was fine but stopped midsentence. As his eyes adjusted to the relative darkness, he could see her white skin glimmering in the dim candle light. Her nightshirt was not particularly revealing but it showed enough of her skin to make his mouth go dry and his erection come back full forth.

Not hearing an answer, Hermione moved to the edge of the bed, trying to see his face. "Severus?" she repeated again, "How are your wounds? Do you need me to get anything? Another potion?" She rose to get up but he was on her in a flash, pushing her back onto the bed and looming over her. "Severus?" Hermione questioned again getting concerned from this silence.

"I need no potion, witch," his voice was a velvety purr as his skilled fingers ran up her legs and body, "just the feel of your skin under my hands." He did not let her ask another question instead capturing her mouth with his.

Hermione's mind was telling her that something was off and that they should talk. But it had been so long since he openly expressed desire for her that she did not have the heart to protest. And soon enough any logical thought was driven away as her body melted into his caresses.

He was touching her everywhere. Quickly divesting her from the night shirt, his fingers and tongue explored all sensitive spots, applying just the right amount of pressure. His lips moved from her mouth, to the side of her neck and his thumbs and forefingers captured her nipples, teasing them into hard pebbles.

Hermione's breathing lost all control, her body arched of the bed but he pinned her down with his leg and arm. Her fingers were tangled in his hair alternating between pushing his head closer and trying to prize it away from her oversensitive skin. Without warning, the wizard growled and took hold of her hands, securing them above her head with a non-verbal spell.

"Severus, please," Hermione was way past being concerned about open begging. "I can't… Please…"

He pulled away from her for a second, "Is this not what you wanted, witch? To experience my passion and emotions?" His dark eyes glittered like black diamonds. "Or have you already changed your mind?" Before she could answer, he smiled wickedly at her, "It is too late, I am afraid. Your wish has been granted. Now the only thing to find out is whether you come to regret it?"

His lips came down on her and his tongue swept into her mouth, claiming her, possessing her.

Severus slid his hands over the soft pliant body. He did not mean to pounce on her like this; in fact it was a complete opposite of his original intentions. But once he saw her there, sitting in his bed, something broke in him and he wanted nothing more than to be buried inside her tight walls. Years of self-control made his mind protest against such reckless behaviour but it was obliterated by a large wave of lust that rose in him, neatly shutting down the brain and leaving him at the mercy of his raging desires.

He moved down her body, spreading her thighs apart and seeing the moisture collecting at her entrance. Swiping at it with his tongue, he slid a finger inside her, quickly adding another. The wetness he found made him smirk, "I gather that my attentions are not entirely unwelcome. You are already soaking and we have just begun."

As he spoke, his fingers continued to pump into her, curling to hit just the right spot. His tongue soon joined and she was lost in a wave of pleasure. Closer and closer he brought her to the peak and all Hermione could do was moan.

"That is not good enough, my dear," he crooned as his mouth left her, making her cry out from disappointment. "I want to hear words not just sounds, no matter how pleasing they are."

Hermione's mind barely registered what he was saying but once his fingers slowed, his words floated to the top of her consciousness. What did he expect her to say? Did he want her to talk dirty?! The young witch was not sure that this would be her forte and when she opened her eyes and saw his face looming above, something told her that it was not what he wanted either. Just then his fingers twisted and his other hand squeezed her nipple that bit harder and Hermione's body arched again.

"Please, Severus," she begged, "I was so worried about you earlier and now all I want is to be with you in every way possible. I want to feel your skin against mine, feel you move inside me, fall apart in your arms and be one with you, both body and soul."

Her words had a definite effect. His features hardened and his eyes turned into pulls of ebony steel. "You have no idea what you are asking for!" he growled, "Naïve, little girl. I can break you with my bare hands."

"But you won't," she whispered, "You will care for me and keep me safe, just as you have always done. I will trust you with my life, Severus Snape," there was a tiny pause and then she added, "and with my heart."

For a second he looked stricken and then Hermione found herself being flipped over, her magical bonds releasing and immediately adjusting to her new position, pinning her hands to the headboard. He lifted her hips and she found herself kneeling in front of him as he thrust into her with one fluid stroke. The suddenness of his intrusion made her whimper as she adjusted to his size, the new angle making him reach so much deeper within her. Almost immediately he pulled out, only to slam into her again. One of his hands pinched her clit while the other latched onto her nipple making Hermione cry out in raw pleasure. Coherent thought left her and all she could do was grip the headboard every time he buried himself inside her. It took only a few thrusts and her release caught her like a wave, making her eyes squeeze shut and her knees give in.

But the wizard behind her had different plans. Roughly grabbing her hair in one fist, he pulled her torso up, holding her to his chest as his hips continued its relentless pace. Her bonds gave in and Hermione finally was able to wrap her arms around his neck, trying to hold on.

"I am not the man you need," his words were a panted groan in her ear.

"But you are the only one I want," she moaned trying to keep herself from simply blacking out. "I love you."

After that there was no more words, he slammed into her one, twice and just as Hermione's walls pulsed around him, another peak turning her inside out, he stiffened, a pained shout of completion escaping his lips as his seed flooded her.

They collapsed in a heap, trying to catch their breath. Severus managed to turn on his side so not to crush the young witch and before sleep overtook them, Hermione thought that for the first time since their wedding, it was Severus, who was holding her in his sleep.

**Happy New Year to All! Hope everybody had a good time. **

**Here is another Chapter. I've decided to publish it now since I won't have any more time this week and it would be nice to update more often. Hope you enjoy it. Reviews are very-very welcome.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Severus Snape woke up from something tickling his nose. Without opening his eyes, he inhaled deeply and the familiar scent told him that said something was the wild hair of his wife, whose warm body was snuggled closely to his own without a shard of clothing separating them.

Her even breathing affirmed that she was still fast asleep and Severus used the few moments to gather his bearings. He was happy that he had perfect recollection of last evening's events: his conversation with Hermione, summons to the Dark Lord, and then the young witch tending to his wounds and falling asleep next to him. Unfortunately, he could also remember, with complete clarity, pouncing on his wife in the middle of the night and taking her time and time again in every way he saw fit. Not that the memory itself was unpleasant… On the contrary, Hermione was extremely responsive and passionate, and it was the first time he truly let himself go with her, making it the best night they had ever had.

What worried Severus was the way his behaviour flipped from one moment to the next. He was not a teenage boy, to lose control from the sight of a partially clad witch. He was not drunk and none of the potions she had given him could have had such a side-effect.

That could only mean one thing: during his summons, he had been cursed. Snape carefully remembered his visit to the Dark Lord and was sure that he hadn't drunk or ate anything. The only possibility left was that, while he was fighting off Bella and the recruits, somebody hit him with a lust spell that had a delayed reaction. If he took this conclusion as a working hypothesis, the next question would be who did it and why? It was highly unlikely that any of his "brothers-in-arms" acted on their own accord. They had nothing to gain from it, as he had a blessing from his Master to bed his wife as many times and in any way he wanted. That left only the Dark Lord himself, and his reasoning could have been anything.

The thought made Snape curse and push the blankets off. His movements woke his wife and Hermione sat up in bed, looking around and rubbing her eyes.

Snape was already pulling on his trousers. "Get up, we are going to see the Headmaster."

"Now? Why?"

The sight of her worried face made him stop. Sighing, he halted his movements, "Hermione, I need to speak to him about yesterday." For a second, he debated whether he should tell her but decided that there was no point in hiding the truth. "I think I might have been cursed."

"Cursed?" Her brown eyes searched his. "I thought your wounds were mostly healed."

"I am not talking about that kind of curse," he paused, trying to find the right words and knowing all the while that she would not like what he had to say. "The way I behaved with you last night, after you woke up again… I wasn't in my right mind."

"Oh…"

Her face fell and Severus felt like a right bastard. He hated having to explain himself, but the crushed look in her eyes forced him to add, "I didn't do anything I would not have done otherwise, tough I fully intended to first talk to you."

"I understand," she tried to keep her voice calm, but it quivered and she hastily lowered her head to hide the tears welling in her eyes. Last night had been so wonderful, the way he was with her - passionate and gentle - claiming her again and again as his own and then holding her in his arms as she fell asleep. And none of it was real. Now, in the morning light, all that was left was a familiar exterior of a wizard who wanted nothing to do with her. Suddenly, she felt very exposed being only covered by her hair and a sheet and scrambled to pull the blanket up to her chin.

Snape mentally cursed again. He did not have time for this. He needed to go to Dumbledore and figure out what curse he had been hit with and the consequences of it. However, a tiny part of him did not agree with the jaded spy reminding Severus that he was no longer a single man. He now had obligations beyond his own wellbeing and the long-standing oath. Allowing himself to act on impulse, he strolled to the bed, and, before Hermione could react, he easily pushed her onto her back, pinning her body with his and using his fingers to force her to look at him.

"I am not lying to you, Hermione." She did not meet his eyes and Severus lost whatever was left of his patience. Without much preamble, he kissed her roughly, his tongue slipping past her lips and swiping every cavern of her mouth. She tried to struggle, but he was holding her firmly, and, within a few minutes, her body responded. All he wanted was to push the sheet to cover her and sink into her welcoming depth, but he tore his mouth away. "Merlin, witch, if you don't believe my words than believe my body." Their short interaction was enough for him to become rock hard, and he rolled his hips that were neatly nestled between her thighs. Her moan made certain that she had noticed. He could not resist kissing her once again but broke away quickly. Seeing her still confused and already glazed look, he added, "If it had been up to me, I would have spent this morning christening every bloody surface in these quarters with you. But…after talking to you."

"About what?" her soft voice was like a bucket of cold water on his passion.

Severus set up and run a hand over his face, suddenly feeling tired. "The Dark Lord has decided that love is a weapon that he should make use of. To be more precise, he thinks that if you were to love me, then if it comes to a choice between me and Potter, you would choose me." Her eyes widened, and he continued, "That's why I tried to keep you at arm's length without being outwardly rude. I could not disobey him openly. Hogwarts is a gossip ground and a lot of it reaches the Dark Lord's ears without my help. Knowing your Gryffindor nature, I thought my indifference would be the best way to keep you from developing any strong feelings for me." He smiled, and, for a moment he looked really young and bashful for some reason. "I did not count on being too late," he added quietly.

"Oh, Severus." She reached her hand to him, and, to her surprise, he took it in his.

"Yesterday, when you told me, I knew my plan had failed. Please, believe me, your words were not unwelcome, but I did not survive the last twenty years by making hasty decisions. I wanted to first think and talk to you. It was still my intention when I got back, and you treated my wounds, even when I woke up in the middle of the night. But then when I saw you, it was like my brain had shut down and all I could think about was having you right there and then."

"Lust curse?" she asked, forcing herself to push away her hurt and think logically.

"Something like that. That's why we need to see the Headmaster. Maybe he'll be able to identify it."

"And maybe not. If the intention of the curse has been fulfilled, then there should not be any traces of it on you. It's not like a potion where you can analyse the blood and find traces."

Severus looked at her in surprise. "You don't want to go to Dumbledore?"

The young witch's expression turned guilty. "No, I don't. I don't want him to know about us; it's none of his business. All he will do is meddle more."

"This is not a game, Hermione." Severus rose from the bed. "You know better than most how much I like my privacy, but Dumbledore needs to know about this." Seeing her questioning eyes, he added firmly, "Everything."

"I suppose you are right," she muttered, "but I won't be able to look him in the face anymore."

Her husband's smirk was true Slytherin-like. "I am convinced that you will manage."

XXX

Dumbledore stopped his wand movements and sat back in his chair. "I am sorry, Severus, but there is nothing specific I can detect. You have so many remnants of different curses on you that there is no way to distinguish a single spell. I have also checked Mrs Snape and there is nothing affecting her presently. I am afraid that unless you find the person who cast the curse and analyse his or her wand, we will never find out for sure."

"What about a mark that such a curse could leave?" Hermione asked from her chair.

Snape, who was still standing after Dumbledore's examination, shook his head. "Most of them are already healed." Looking at her surprised face, he added, "I am a very good Potions Master. My salves are known for their fast action."

Hermione fell silent, and Dumbledore took over the discussion again. "I agree with your suspicions, Severus, but I am afraid there is nothing we could do at the moment. If it's any consolation, I don't think that Tom used anything particularly complicated. I have checked and there is nothing affecting you at the moment. Therefore, there is no immediate danger."

"And what about the non-immediate one?"

As much as Hermione tried, she could not figure out whether this question was serious or sarcastic. Her husband's blank face did not shed any light, and she decided that it was probably a bit of both.

"We would have to wait and see." Dumbledore's face was calm. "There is nothing we could do at the moment that would resolve the situation permanently. Therefore, the only thing left is to wait and act accordingly." He smiled at the dark-haired wizard. "I suggest that you get some much needed rest, Severus, and enjoy a relaxing weekend with your wife."

It was a clear sign that both of them were dismissed, and Hermione could not wait to get out of the Headmaster's office. She felt completely wrung out after not getting much sleep the previous night, waiting for Severus to get back and then tend to his wounds. They spent the early morning much more pleasurably but did not get much rest. Then she had to endure a conversation with Dumbledore, which involved discussing highly intimate details.

When they made it to the dungeons, she excused herself to the bathroom, where she ran a bath and sank into it, willing the hot water to wash away her tension. She probably was in there a lot longer than usual, when there was a knock and Severus appeared.

"You are not trying to drown yourself?" he asked calmly, walking over and sitting on the edge.

"No," she tried to smile at him, "I just lost track of time. I'll be out in a moment."

"I am not trying to rush you," he replied, "but the elves have served breakfast and I was also wondering if you would like to go somewhere this weekend. Paris is always pleasant at Christmas time, and a German market - somewhere like Munich, -could be agreeable as well."

His words were met by silence as his wife gaped at him. "Are you serious?" she finally managed to force her jaw back in its place.

"Do I look like I am joking?" There was a frown on his face as he stared at her. Hermione's doubtful expression did not go unnoticed and he sighed, resigning himself to having to provide an explanation once again. "Like I said before, I have been pushing you away, not because I don't enjoy spending time with you, but, now that it seems my approach has failed, I am not going to continue just for the sake of it. It's the weekend, I don't have anything to do, both my masters have dismissed me, and, in all honestly, I could use a break from this place. So, unless you say otherwise, I am more than happy to take you with me and go somewhere together; or perhaps you are too tired?" At this, his eyes glinted mischievously and he raised one of his eyebrows.

Hermione could not hide a smile "I am sure I can manage."

His lips twisted into a smirk. "Delighted to hear it, Mrs Snape. Now," he rose and took her towel from the drying rack, "allow me." Trying not to blush, Hermione rose from the bath and stepped into the embrace of her husband. For a moment, the two stared at each other.

"Severus," she started and then paused. She did not want to break the lighthearted mood, but there was no way she would be able to get through the weekend without saying what was on her mind. His black eyes regarded her with their usual calm and guarded expression. Gathering her courage, she continued, "Promise me that you will not push me away again?" She felt his arms around her tense but pressed on, "Whatever has happened in the past, we are husband and wife now. I am not asking you to love me, but please try and trust me. Don't hide things from me for my own safety. Don't keep me in the dark so I will not worry because I will. I always worry about you, and what happens to you will affect me anyway. In the eyes of the wizarding world, I am a Snape now and people will treat me as such. So, I need you to be honest with me and tell me the truth, however unpleasant and scary it is."

As she talked, she could feel the tension in his body mounting. His face hardened and she could see the defences around him rising. "You don't know what you are asking for," he stated finally.

"Maybe, but I would like to find out."

He made to pull away and it was her turn to hold on to him tightly. Annoyed, he scowled in his best intimidating way. "You do realise that there will be things I won't be able to tell you because I am bound by an oath which precedes our marriage vows? I took it before you were born, and I am bound by it until it is fulfilled or I am dead."

The harsh words made Hermione inwardly wince, but she did her best to hide it and raised her chin, looking straight into his cold, black orbs. "It does not matter. I want to be a part of your life as much as it is possible. All you need to do is let me in."

She waited with bated breath as he studied her, his face thoughtful. "I don't like giving promises I can't keep," he said finally.

For a moment, she gaped at him, not expecting such blatant rejection; but her surprise was quickly replaced by anger. "And why the hell not?" She pushed her hands against his chest and Severus had to take a step back. Folding his arms, he gave her a condescending look that she had known all too well from the six years spent in his classroom.

"Because I am your husband, an Order member and a teacher in this school, and my job is to protect and keep you away from harm. I have been doing this for the last six years, and I am not about to stop now."

"And I would have no say in it, is that right?" Hermione's eyes narrowed as she fought to control herself. "Might I remind you, dear husband, that I am recognised as an adult in this world?"

"Oh, I am very well aware of that fact, my dear wife, as I am not in a habit of fucking children."

For a moment, she looked confused, but when the meaning of his words sank in, Hermione could not stop herself from blushing bright red, and her embarrassment only fuelled her anger.

"So, I am old enough to shag but too young to be told about the dangers you and I have to face? This is just brilliant."

"And what did you expect? You sat in my class for the last six years, I taught you how to stir your first potion, I protected you and your dim-witted friends through all your escapades, and now you want me to pour my deeds and my soul to you so you could do what? Go and do something as stupid as when you followed Potter into the Ministry? I am not Weasley, who runs to you every time he can't find his socks."

By now, Hermione was so furious that she forgot that all she was covered with was her towel, and she stormed towards him. "Don't you dare patronise me, Severus Snape. I have faced more than my fair share of the real world since I was eleven and I am not about to agree on being cooped up in your dungeons and letting you decide my life for me."

In the next moment, she was pushed against the nearby wall, with Snape looming over her. "You know nothing," he whispered close to her face viciously. "You know nothing about what the real world is like. You've been protected by these walls and everybody around you, from you teachers to your peers. You have no idea what it means to be a pawn between two megalomaniacs who would stop at nothing just to gain a hand over the other. Keeping everyone at arm's length for years, never having a family or close friends, just so they could not be used against you. And then some little swot barges into my life and puts all these efforts to naught overnight? Don't you realise, my dear, that you are a new pawn in the game between good and evil, and that I have been turned into a fucking knight who has to figure out how to keep you alive long enough that you could at least celebrate the first anniversary of this thrice-cursed marriage?"

He was terrifying in his rage. Hermione had seen a livid Severus Snape many times, but not once had she felt such waves of fury rolling over him. Underneath it all, she saw his genuine fear and concern. He was trying to protect her, just as he had always done, without any expectation of gratitude or thought for his own well-being. Tears swelled in her eyes and she reached out a hand to touch his cheek.

"But Severus, I would only celebrate our anniversary if you were there with me. Otherwise, what is the point of me being alive?"

He wanted to push her soft palm away, to yell at her and leave her crying on the floor, but that tender gesture and soft words nearly stopped his breathing. She was the first and probably the last person to openly want to be with him, actively seeking to be a part of his life, and no matter how much he tried to push her away, she was still there in her naiveté but, oh, so tempting, Gryffindor loyalty. He had no idea what he did to deserve such unwavering devotion, and it touched something deep within him.

He did not want to fight her. Maybe having her so vehemently by his side would provide him with at least a tiny chance of survival. Severus sighed resignedly, and, without saying a word pulled Hermione closer, burying her face in his chest. She melted against him, breathing in his scent and listening to the steady beat of his heart against her ear. If she could catch a glimpse of his face, the young witch would have seen his eyes staring blankly into a spot on the wall. Then they closed and he took a deep breathe, steadying himself.

"Be it as you wish then," he whispered. "I promise to be honest with you as much as I can and not push you away if I am able to."

It was a small concession, heavily caveated, but she understood the deeper meaning behind the words. Severus Snape was letting her into his life, albeit reluctantly and not as much as she wished, but it was a start, and she could not stop a beaming smile appearing on her face. She was grateful that he could not see it because she would have undoubtedly been the subject of a scowl.

Without lifting her head, Hermione pushed herself onto her tip toes and her lips touched the underside of his jaw. Dropping her towel at the same time, she felt his hands roam over her body as she pushed herself closer, wanting nothing more than to become one with him once more.

Hi. Here is a new chapter. It was a real struggle and I have written 3 different endings before deciding on this one. I hope you'll enjoy and eagerly anticipate your reviews.

Thank you to my new beta CRMediaGal.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Hermione, are you coming to Slughorn's party?" Ginny caught up with her friend as she was leaving Transfiguration.

"Oh, I don't know, Ginny." Hermione made a face. "Severus was not that keen when we received our invitation."

"So what? Go without him," the redhead's suggestion was made in the most nonchalant tone, as if she was asking for salt to be passed to her.

"And what's the fun in that?" The words spilled from Hermione's mouth before she had a chance to think and she immediately felt guilty. Opening her mouth to say sorry, she was interrupted by Ginny lifting her hand.

"Hermione, you don't have to apologise to me for wanting to spend time with Snape. You are newlyweds and now that things are going well between you, it makes sense that you want to be with him."

The bushy-haired witch gave her friend a long stare, but Ginny just smiled at her innocently. "Don't worry. It probably was just me that noticed the change. I mean, Snape is just Snape; you can never read anything from his face. But you were utterly miserable about a week ago. I was beginning to worry…" She gave her friend a sly grin. "But after you went away last weekend, you seemed a lot more relaxed." She lowered her head closer to Hermione's and whispered into her ear, "Which makes me think that Snape is as good in bed as the Slytherin girls seem to think."

"Ginny!" Hermione's outraged cry did nothing to affect her friend. Deciding to forgo her indignation and instead focus on containing her blush, the older girl fixed the young Weasley with a pointed look. "And what were you doing listening to Slytherin girls?"

"Oh, it was years ago. I just happened to be in the loo near the dungeons at the same time as they were; but don't worry, none of them had first-hand experience. Apparently they were saying that Snape was totally unattainable for any student to the point that there were never even any rumours about him."

"Glad to hear it." The thought of what the rumour mill was saying now made Hermione cringe and she rushed to change the subject. "Now why do you want me to go to Slughorn's party? You'll be busy with Dean Thomas."

"Not the whole evening," Ginny replied, "and in all honesty, I have missed you. We never hang out any more. Although, I understand that you have to focus on your marriage right now. It would be nice to see you for more than just a few minutes. The holidays are about to start and it's not like Snape would bring you to the Burrow on Christmas Eve."

Hermione knew her friend was right. In the emotional turmoil of the last six weeks she had pretty much ignored her friends, though she had little inclination to deal with Ron, who recently seemed to spend most of his time attached to Lavender's lips. She missed Harry and Ginny and, whereas with her only remaining best male friend, the necessity for secrecy meant that they at least met occasionally. With Ginny, it was merely a crossing in the corridors or bumping into each other in the library.

Noticing that her older friend started to relent, the redhead pressed on, "Just ask him, Hermione. Tell him that you'd like to go. He does not even need to stay there the whole time. As long as he escorts you in and then shows up towards the end, between Luna and I, we could keep you company."

Hermione could not resist such pleading. "Okay, fine, I'll ask."

Ginny's grin was infectious. "Great! Now, all I need to do is get you drunk enough so you spill the details of how good your sex life really is."

"Ginerva Weasley!" Her indignant cry was wasted since Ginny was already hurrying away, leaving Hermione to glare after her and then rush to her own class.

As Professor Binns droned on and on about the Goblin wars, Hermione mentally cursed the redheaded witch. Her questions and probing left Hermione unable to focus on the class as untimely pictures flooded her brain.

Ginny was right that the last weekend had been the happiest she had been this year. She spent it in the company of her husband, walking around the Munich Christmas market, having nice food, mulled wine, and some quality time in their hotel room.

Hermione had to be honest with herself; she had never seen her husband so relaxed. Although he was still Snape, which meant that his contribution to conversation was about a tenth of hers and his humour could be at best described as dry if not downright caustic, his stance was less rigid, his features lost their permanent scowl and, above all, he held her hand as they walked through the crowd. Once or twice, a small, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his face. It was enough to make her heart sing and her skin tingle from his touch.

Of course, there were some much more intimate delights when her whole body felt on fire as he reached places within her that she did not know existed. Never in her life had she thought herself capable of being one moment so incredibly tense, and the next become a boneless heap unable to move a finger. There was no question that Severus Snape had rediscovered her body in a way that she had never thought possible and that she enjoyed every minute of it.

Just thinking about it made Hermione feel flushed, her private areas throbbing and wet. She wriggled a bit in her seat, trying to focus her mind on understanding what Professor Binns was saying. The class had lasted for what seemed like ages and the Gryffindor witch found herself much relieved when she could escape to the comfort of their private chambers. Her mood was much improved when she lowered herself into a bath, deciding that freshening up was a good idea.

When Severus returned to his chambers, he found his wife in front of the mirror in their bedroom and struggling to brush her hair. The sight made him smile on the inside as he approached her from behind, his hands gliding over wild strands demonstrating once again his profess in nonverbal, wandless spells by arranging her messy locks into soft waves.

"I wish you would teach me wandless magic," Hermione murmured as she twisted her head to give him a kiss.

"And why would I do that?" He lowered his dark head to meet her lips.

"I think it's obvious, isn't it?"

"Wandless spells are very volatile and require a lot of discipline. You are currently learning non-verbal spells and you first need to hone that skill before embarking on a new one."

Knowing that he was right, Hermione gave a light sigh. "But you could always show me just this one?"

His response to her hopeful suggestion was a barely concealed scoff, "Regular brushing improves blood circulation to the scalp which is important for healthy hair growth."

She could not contain a giggle and when he pulled away, one eyebrow quizzically raised, she explained, "It's just if somebody told me three months ago that I would be receiving a lecture about hair care from you, I would have thought they had escaped Janus Thickey Ward at St Mungo's."

The sneer on his face made her regret the words but by now she knew him well enough to see that there was no real malice in his voice when he spoke, "Of course, what would the greasy git from the dungeons know about personal hygiene."

"If you would just stop covering your head with the Fire Protection potion all the time-then people would see…"

"Thank you very much, but I prefer to actually keep some hair; or did you think Longbottom was the only one prone to melting cauldrons?!"

Hermione managed to suppress her smile this time, "I would not argue with that," she said lightly, "You have beautiful hair, Severus."

"And your attempts to flatter me are as subtle as a Hippogriff, Hermione; but you forget that I am a Slytherin and you have to come up with a lot more compelling arguments to convince me to share my knowledge with you."

"Fine," Hermione pretended to huff but could not hide a spark of mirth in her eyes. "I won't ask you again, but remember that there will be a time when you want to find out something from me that I might choose not to answer."

"I always thought that blackmail was not a Gryffindor modus operandi, but thank you for informing me. As they say, forewarned is forearmed." Severus pulled off his outer robes, carefully hanging them in the half opened wardrobe. He then started unbuttoning his coat, giving Hermione a perfect view of his broad shoulders.

The young witch stared for a moment before remembering Ginny's request.

"Severus, would you mind escorting me to Slughorn's party on Friday? I know you were not keen on going, but Ginny asked if I could go and it would be nice to spend some time with her. You don't have to stay, just make an appearance at the beginning and the end."

Her husband turned to face her as he untied his cravat. "And isn't Miss Weasley going to be occupied with Mr Thomas?"

"Yes, but not all the time, and Luna is going to be there."

He regarded her for a moment and then a wicked smile appeared on his face. "And what would I get for making an appearance?"

The silky tone in his voice immediately changed the atmosphere in the room, making her shiver. "My sincere thanks," Hermione tried to make her voice sound flirtatious.

"Could I ask you to be slightly more specific?" He was watching her as a hawk follows his prey.

Hermione got up from her chair and moved towards her husband, coming to stand right in front of him. If he wanted to play this game, she would show him that she was up for it. Staring into his black eyes, she smiled sultry. "Let me give you a demonstration."

Slowly, she kissed him, her hands caressing his hair and then moving down towards his shoulders. He responded to the kiss, his tongue slipping inside her mouth. When they broke for breath, Hermione's lips moved to his neck, her nimble fingers undoing the buttons of his white shirt. She trailed the kisses down his chest, her warm tongue darting to lick his nipples.

Severus closed his eyes, letting himself savour her caresses. They may not have been the most skilled he had ever experienced, but she took such care in exploring him, and her touches were so sincere, that, probably for the first time in his life, he was happy to just relax and let her worship his body.

Hermione was getting high on the feeling of power. So far, it had mostly been Severus taking control of their intimate encounters. Although it was highly pleasurable, she cherished the opportunity to learn his body at her own will.

She pulled his shirt off and moved around, taking time to kiss his shoulders and back, tracing her fingertips down his spine and arms. Making a full circle, she started licking his toned stomach and then lowered herself to her knees. Unbuttoning his trousers, she let them fall off his slim hips, his underwear quickly following suit.

Severus hissed as she grasped the base of his shaft, her eyes glued to the tip, where a drop of moisture had already gathered. Seeing her kneeling in front of him appealed to the darker side of his nature, but he restrained himself and allowed Hermione to take her time. Thankfully, it was not long before her lips parted and she took him into her mouth. The dark wizard groaned and, this time, could not resist burrowing one of his hands into her thick curls.

He tasted of clean skin and something else - something uniquely Severus but now more potent. It was a heady mixture and, although Hermione was still learning how best to move her lips and tongue, her ministrations seemed to please him. His hand in her hair carefully angled her head and encouraged a rather steady pace. He did not force himself any deeper than she was prepared to take him, but every time she did, something he particularly enjoyed, his grip on her curls tightened. Soon enough, his hips started moving as well and, when Hermione used her teeth to lightly bite him, Severus groaned loudly. Both his hands were now in her hair and he pulled her head away from him. Her lips released him with a quiet pop and she felt a shudder go through his body.

Looking up at him in confusion, she watched his heavy eyes gaze down at her. "If you don't want to go all the way, we should change positions," he sounded raspier than usual. She must have appeared confused because he added as an explanation, "Most women don't like the taste."

Mention of other women made her frown. "Well, I am not most women." Not waiting for him to respond, Hermione returned her attention to his cock, taking him deep into her mouth.

Severus felt like he was in heaven. His little minx of a wife had her lips wrapped around him again, her tongue and cheeks creating a delicious friction around his shaft. She showed no sign of slowing down. His undoing came when one of her hands grasped his balls and her other hand started to massage him where her lips couldn't reach.

Forgetting everything, he gripped her hair and started thrusting his hips in and out of her mouth, hitting the back of her throat with every push. It only took a few jerky movements and he came undone, his legs shaking and his voice raw.

The taste of him was not unpleasant - bitter and salty. Hermione quickly swallowed his release, focusing on the velvety feel of his softening flesh. Her eyes drank the sight of his slack face and his heaving chest as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Have I convinced you?" Hermione forced herself to remember their previous conversation.

Fathomless black eyes opened lazily. "Are you sure that the Sorting Hat did not offer you Slytherin in the first place?"

Hermione chuckled as she got up, giving much needed rest to her knees. "I will take that as a compliment."

"It most certainly was," her husband purred.

"Then I am sorry to disappoint you, my dear, but I am a hundred per cent Gryffindor."

"Who said anything about disappointment?" The dark haired wizard kicked off his shoes and then removed his socks and trousers that were pulled around his ankles. "It means that I am rubbing off on you."

Hermione was always surprised by how comfortable he was with his nudity. For a man who, most of the time, was covered from head to toe and hid behind voluminous clothes, Severus Snape had absolutely no problem with striding stark naked to her and wandlessly removing her clothing and carrying his wife to bed.

XXXX

"I am so glad you've made it." Ginny got ahold of Hermione as soon as she and Severus said their greetings to an already inebriated Slughorn. Leaving the Deference Professor to their host, the witch followed her younger friend. "So how did you convince him to agree?"

Hermione hoped that the make-up she applied to her face would hide her blush as the memory of that evening and night surfaced in her mind. After giving Severus her first blow job, he had returned the favour by giving her two orgasms, first with his fingers and mouth and second as he pounded her into the bed sheets.

"That good?" Ginny's word interrupted her reverie. Hermione frowned at her friend.

"Honestly, Ginny, get your mind out of the gutter," she sighed. "I asked him to go, he said that he needed to be here anyway, so it all worked out."

"If you say so," the redhead smiled innocently. "So how good is he really in bed?"

Hermione could not contain her exasperated laughter. "You are incorrigible, you know, but I am stubborn as well. This is none of your business, Ginny, so I suggest you give up and go find Dean Thomas."

"But I am supposed to keep you company."

"Luna is at the refreshments table. I am going to get a drink and something to eat whilst she's there and then we can catch up properly."

Hermione made her way to the Ravenclaw witch, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Severus was engaged in a conversation with Draco. She listened quietly as Luna talked about a new issue of _The Quibbler_. Her eyes wondered around as she saw people drinking, eating, and talking. A lot of her classmates were here and she realised just how much she had moved on with her life.

Majority of students present were concerned about which boy or girl was looking their way or not, how to sneak some Firewhiskey and not be caught, and how much homework they would be given for the holidays. She was a married know-it-all, which meant she had already completed all her assignments and had no interest in either dating or getting drunk at a school party. Despite such different worries, everybody around her was part of the war that was simmering just under the surface and threatening to tear apart not just her marriage but the rest of the wizarding world.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Ginny, and the three girls took some time to eat, drink and gossip. Initially, Hermione kept glancing at Severus but, at some point, she lost track of him and presumed that he disappeared, as per their agreement. She enjoyed the unhurried chatter with her friends, even managing to exchange a few words with Harry, and it reminded her of the evenings spent at the Gryffindor Tower.

By the time the music started, the room was very busy. Hermione separated from her friends to search for Severus, thinking that it would be a good time to disappear. She was just near one of the heavy drapes when she was pulled unceremoniously behind it.

"So how does it feel to be bedding a Slytherin snake, Granger?" Cormac McLaggen was standing right in front of her. He held a glass in his hand and by the look on his face, he wasn't drinking a Butterbeer.

"It's Mrs Snape to you, Cormac, and I think you are drunk." She turned to leave, but he stopped her.

"Oh, not so quickly, princess. You were always so high and mighty, holding court in the Gryffindor common room. One part of the Golden Trio, the brightest witch of your age, but it turns out that you are not so much of a goody two-shoes but a teacher's pet, getting your marks any way you can."

Hermione felt her face flush red. Was this what people really thought of her now? That she slept her way to high marks? Not wanting to attract any attention to them, Hermione forced herself to remain calm. She narrowed her eyes at Cormac. "I suggest that you take yourself and that nasty tongue of yours straight back to the dormitory before I hex you into next week." Giving him a disdainful look, she added in a bitingly sweet tone, "I'll pass your apologies onto your date."

Cormac's face turned crimson. "Oh, I did not bring a date." His sneer became downright nasty, "You see, I was planning to ask you, before all of this… But then you showed your true colours." He took a step forward and Hermione had to back further into the alcove to keep some distance from him. Cormac must have taken it as a sign of fear, as he nearly spat in her face. "Fucking the dungeon bat, Granger. You are a disgrace to our House."

Hermione was shaking. Her rational side was telling her that it was just McLaggen being drunk. But a traitorous voice in her head whispered that this was what all the students were thinking- that she was just a slut that slept her way to high marks and probably got banged up and had to marry a teacher. Tears welled in her eyes, but she managed to keep them from falling.

Wishing she could do wandless magic, she raised her palm and slapped Cormac. "I would never have come here with you," she hissed. "You are just a school-yard bully that couldn't get your way. No self-respecting witch would be seen dead with you."

With every word, colour was rising in Cormac's face to the point that he looked like a very ripe tomato. "You Slytherin whore…" He tried to grab her by the arm but before he could succeed a jet of red hit him and he was lifted into the air.

"Insulting another wizard's wife is a punishable offence, Mr McLaggen." Snape held his wand casually in his hand. "I could challenge you to a duel as you are of age…" He let the last words hang.

Even through the haze of his alcohol-fuelled brain, McLaggen had been conscious enough to visibly pale. Snape's face was expressionless.

"However, I don't think I would go to such lengths, since you obviously are just a juvenile imbecile and deserve a punishment suitable for a child. A hundred and fifty points from Gryffindor and a month of detention with Mr Filch. Plus, you will report to your Head of House tomorrow. Now get out of my sight."

Snape flicked his wand and McLaggen was unceremoniously dropped on the floor. In his drunken state he did not manage to stay on his own two feet and sank to his knees, emptying his stomach onto Snape's shoes in the process.

The Head of Slytherin House stared at the boy as if he was vermin and, with another flick of his wand, cast a quick _Scourgify_. "Another month of detention," he drawled in a bored voice. He then extended his hand to Hermione, which she gratefully accepted as she stepped around McLaggen.

Cormac was still shuffling on his knees and Hermione did not dare to look at her husband. However, she did not miss his words that had been uttered in a low tone that only the three of them were able to hear. "And if you ever come within fifty yards of my wife or utter another bad word about her, be assured that I will know and you will never be able to call yourself a man again."

Without another glance at the boy, Snape turned around, nodded at Slughorn, and ushered Hermione out of the room.

Their trip to the dungeon was silent but when the door behind them shut, Hermione rushed to the bedroom and dropped onto the bed. She desperately tried not to cry. McLaggen was not worth her tears, so she focused on taking deep breaths in and out whilst taking out her hair clips one by one. When she was done, she moved on to her dress and then went to the bathroom to remove her make-up and brush her teeth. When she returned to the bedroom, she found her husband already in his night clothes.

The half an hour of solitude he gave her allowed Hermione to compose her emotions enough that she did not fear bursting into tears and was grateful for his tact.

"Do you need anything?" he asked, his dark eyes studying her carefully. He had seen enough upset females in his life to have a pretty good reading that, this time, his wife did not want to cry on his shoulder.

She shook her head slightly. "No, I am alright. Thank you for coming to my rescue. He was very drunk and was not going to listen to reason."

"It was my duty as your husband and also a wizard and a teacher in this school. Mr McLaggen's behaviour was beyond poor. I will be having words with his Head of House and the Headmaster."

Hermione looked up at him anxiously. "I don't want this to escalate any further. It's bad enough that a number of people at the party saw you hex him. The rumour mill will be going at full speed."

"It already does and speaking to McGonagall and Dumbledore will not make it any worse or better."

The young witch nodded dejectedly, knowing that he was right. "Do you think it is true then? What he said about me? Does everybody think the same? That I slept with you to get good marks and married you because we got caught?"

Black eyes surveyed her. "I presume you would like an honest answer from me?"

Hermione lifted her chin. "Of course."

"Then yes, some people do think like that, mostly those from middle class pureblood families like McLaggen's, who can't contemplate how a Muggle-born witch could be brighter than their offspring. They have been so busy proving to everybody that they are pureblood and deserve a sit at the big boys table that they forget that magic without brains is like a broomstick without its tail: utterly useless. However, they are a minority. Most of those who have even some semblance of intelligence understand that it's not that simple. Although our union is highly unorthodox, they know that both of us are surrounded by enough people of sufficient moral standing that this is not just a cover up for a sordid affair."

"So do they think that we have fallen madly in love?" she scoffed.

"I would think that after today they would pretty much understand the truth." Seeing her surprised face he added in a quiet tone, "The marriage law has been passed today by the Wizengamot and the reading of it is much worse than initially thought. I would think that a majority of your schoolmates that have a misfortune of having already turned seventeen are not going to be coming back from their Christmas breaks unless they can find a spouse within these walls."

_To be continued_

**Dear All. Thank you for all the reviews. I am sorry if I don't respond personally to each of you but it I am so busy that it's difficult to find time to simply write a chapter-hence such a long time between updates. Please be assured that I read every review and much appreciate them all.**

**I know it's been a long wait but I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.**

**A big THANK YOU to my beta CRMediaGal!**


	22. Chapter 22

_Dedicated to all those who reviewed and waited for this update. Thank you!_

**Chapter 22**

Hermione sat in the living room of Grimmauld Place, absentmindedly twisting her wedding ring around her finger. Opposite her was an equally glum Ginny, whilst Harry and Ron were huddled together in the corner, attempting to play a game of Wizarding chess. The four had been evicted from the kitchen, where the Order of the Phoenix was meeting to discuss the consequences of the Marriage Law. It was the second meeting in so many days and they did not seem to be getting anywhere.

In truth, there was not much they could do. The new decree was truly awful. All single witches and wizards between the ages of seventeen and fifty and seventeen and sixty respectively were to be married within three months. No exceptions were given, unless the said person was certified as bed-ridden by at least three Ministry appointed Mediwizards or Mediwitches.

Pure-bloods had the first choice, and could marry anybody they liked as long as they could demonstrate that they were not related up to eight generations back. In reality, this meant that unless marrying a foreigner, they had to go for either Muggle-borns or half-bloods. If a witch or wizard, chosen by a pure-blood, was not amenable to the proposal, they had seventy-two hours to present the Ministry with an alternative involving another pure-blood spouse.

After all, pure-bloods of eligible age were partnered, remaining half-bloods were next to make their selection on similar conditions, and only afterwards could Muggle-borns be given a choice. Considering that the number of Muggle-borns was much lower than those with magical heritage, it meant that they had no say in the matter. Non-humans, half-breeds, and werewolves were forbidden to marry humans under the threat of imprisonment in Azkaban.

As barbaric as it sounded, this was just the beginning. Once married, a couple was expected to have intercourse three times a week. Compliance was to be monitored through the rings they received at a wedding ceremony, which also insured fidelity by burning their owners if they were unfaithful. All contraception - Muggle or magic - was forbidden. If the witch did not conceive within six months, both parties had to attend a health check-up at St. Mungo's and submit to a treatment regime, which could include fertility tonics. If the next six months did not result in pregnancy, the couple would have to embark on artificial insemination.

The only people unaffected by the law were witches and wizards below or above the eligible age, and those already married.

Hermione continued to stare at her rings. She should be elated that her plan had worked and that she successfully escaped the Ministry's clutches, but she simply could not be happy knowing that next door the Order was drawing list after list, trying to protect those that they could. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Molly Weasley's broken face when she looked at her sons, knowing that five of them would have to take wives not based on their hearts' desires but in order to protect those who were important to the side of the Light. The young Gryffindor could still hear Fleur's broken sobs as a stone-faced Bill walked into the Order's meeting.

Just as her thoughts wondered further, the door to the kitchen banged open and Tonks flew into the living room.

"I am not doing this, Arthur, and that's the end of it. I will move to America, but I am not marrying him."

"I understand you are upset, my dear, but you are not serious about moving away."

"Not serious?" She swirled around, her hair turning bright red. "I'll show you not serious. Just watch me."

"Enough," Kingsley's bark made Hermione jump. "Auror Tonks, stop this childish behaviour. We are trying to do what's best for everyone in a very difficult situation. The least you could do is be reasonable."

"And what good would that do? You can't just sit here and compile these damned lists as if you are merely deciding who is going on patrol together. These are people's lives we are talking about. You knew this law was coming and all you managed to do is protect your Golden Trio. You've forced Snape to marry Hermione but did not think about anybody else. And now, she could just sit here with her head in a book whilst I have to turn myself into some breeding cow? No."

Abruptly, there was silence, and Hermione, who was studiously looking at her feet to try and hide her burning face, looked up to see Tonks's mouth gaping open as her husband held his wand.

"Inability to keep emotions in check is not an excuse for losing control of your tongue." A cold, smooth voice intoned. "If Lupin did not manage to sort out his issues until now, it is highly unlikely he would ever do it."

"Lift the spell, Severus." Remus's usually mild tone had a distinct edge to it.

"Or what?"

"Or Merlin help me…"

"I don't think this is necessary," Dumbledore's voice was calm but stern.

The black ebony wand moved. "…conniving bastard!" Tonks shrill voice rang in the kitchen. "I almost believed that you were forced into this marriage. In reality, you played us all for fools. Now you are free from the Marriage Law and holding an security pass in your hand. If the Order wins this war, you will be untouchable as a husband of a famous Muggle-born who is also Harry's best friend. And if that damned snake wins, you will deliver her on a silver platter, leaving no doubt in your allegiance. The only thing I don't know is what potion you uses on Hermione to get her to marry you."

Blood drained from Hermione's face as everyone's eyes focused on her.

"This is ridiculous. Severus did nothing."

"That will be enough, Hermione," her husband's steely tone interrupted her. His black eyes conveyed a clear warning. "Headmaster, it is time for my wife and I to take our leave." Severus turned to Dumbledore, ignoring everybody else around him. "We will be departing on our overdue honeymoon, so, unless there is a true emergency, I would expect to be allowed privacy."

He turned around and Hermione could only mutter quick 'goodbyes' to her friends as she hurried to follow her husband. The wizard ushered her to the door, and the moment they set foot outside, he took hold of her waist and apparated them away.

They arrived to the Apparition point in front of the Prince Manor a second later, and Hermione pulled away.

"Why didn't you let me finish?" She glared at her husband. "Now they all think you drugged me into marrying you."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "So what? Half of them were thinking that already."

"But not Harry and Ginny, and they are my friends."

Severus gave her an odd look. "Your friendship would be much stronger if they believed that I had coerced you into this marriage."

"I don't want such friendship."

"Not at the moment, but trust me, there'll come a time when you'll be happy you have it." Without letting her say anything, he continued, "Now, I know that it is a Muggle tradition that a honeymoon is kept a secret from the bride but, knowing you, I'd guess you'd prefer to know. I have hired a villa in Jamaica for a week. We leave tomorrow and get back on Christmas Eve, and if you wish, we could spend Christmas Day with your parents before returning here on Boxing Day."

While saying this, he had been taking off his robes, with his back to her. Complete silence followed his words, and Severus was about to turn around when something heavy almost knocked him off his feet. Leaning forward to catch his balance, he was engulfed in a bear-like hug, with volumes of hair spilling over his neck and face.

"Thank you," Hermione's hot breath tickled the back of his head as her legs and arms wrapped themselves around him like Devil's Snare. "Thank you so much."

She could not see her husband's face, but his long, strong arms held her firm as he twisted to grasp her properly. One of his hands tangled itself in her wild curls as he held her close, burying her face in his chest.

"You are most welcome." The soft whisper did not betray the emotions surging through him. He was glad that Hermione was only too busy nuzzling his neck with her lips, and provided him with a moment of privacy to wipe any sign of turmoil from his face.

Her unguarded reaction was something that he half-expected, though the level of enthusiasm was quite a surprise. What was unexpected, however, was the clenching of his own heart and a sharp realisation that, given time, he could really grow to love the woman in his arms and build a life with her. Now that all they had were a few fleeting months, he almost felt cheated that he would never find out what it was like to have a proper family: a wife, children, and even in-laws.

Severus gritted his teeth. These thoughts were not helpful. They were soul-destroying and dangerous. They made him want things he could not have. He had nearly three weeks holiday ahead of him, and he was going to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

Having made his decision, he pried his wife's face from his chest and engaged her in a fierce kiss that left her breathless.

"I have not had a chance to take a shower this morning," he whispered against her lips. "Would you care to join me?"

His answer was a sultry look and a languid smile.

**I am very-very sorry for the delay in updating. I know it's been months. Just want to say "Big Thank You" to all those who reviewed and favoured this story. I will do my best to finish it and your reviews always help. Keep them coming.**

**And big thanks to my Beta - CRMediaGal!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

On the last day of the holidays Hermione could honestly admit that for the first time in her life she was not looking forward to going back to school. She was having such a lovely time away from Hogwarts. All worries had moved to the back of her mind and returning to school meant getting back to reality, which she had been happily avoiding for almost three weeks.

The honeymoon in Jamaica was amazing. Her husband had booked them at a secluded villa with a private beach. They had spent time swimming, snorkelling, and simply laying on the white sand, reading books and having the wildest sex. Severus's imagination was endless and his stamina left the young witch exhausted and content.

She had never had such a lazy holiday. Both her parents preferred active breaks, be it visiting cultural sights in a city or trailing walking paths in the countryside. Hermione had no idea what type of holiday her husband preferred, but it turned out that Severus was as happy to lounge on a beach with a book in hand as he was walking the streets of a city exploring Jamaica's capital.

One thing she was sure about was that she very much enjoyed watching her husband in nothing but his swimming trunks, with his alabaster skin protected by a UV repellent spell. It was a real surprise to her that somebody who was always dressed in layers upon layers of clothing could be so comfortable wearing almost nothing. When she mentioned it to him, he first remained silent and then simply replied that he did not like the cold. The admission left her gaping, and she could not help but laugh at how uncharacteristic this explanation sounded.

In general, that week provided a number of revelations. Away from Hogwarts and Britain, Severus Snape was a lot more relaxed. He was easier to laugh with and smile. His wit was still dry but less caustic, and he seemed to have de-aged, looking more like a young man than austere academic. He also became more open, even talking briefly about his childhood spent in a dilapidated house in one of the most deprived areas of Manchester. They compared the classes and teachers during his time at Hogwarts with hers, and even went so far as talking about favourite films.

He was also interested to learning more about her and did not seem to mind when she blabbered on for a whole hour about Muggle school curriculums. All in all, it was probably the first time that she felt like he was not just her husband but a friend, and she treasured every minute.

On top of everything else, Severus surprised her by suggesting that they take her parents out to dinner on Christmas Eve and then spend the night with them so that they could open the presents first thing on Christmas Day, as was customary in the Granger's household. She remembered that she had told him about it sometime before and to have him not only remember but also follow her wish made her heart melt.

It was not only her heart that was affected. During the time with her parents, she witnessed first hand a charm offensive by Severus Snape. He was a perfect guest and son-in-law - offering his help to Helen in cooking Christmas dinner, and, when she insisted that she was perfectly cable with Hermione's help, he politely retired to the living room, leaving mother and daughter to catch up.

Severus patiently watched football with Mr Granger and surprised him with the knowledge and understanding of Muggle politics and economics. Severus insisted on clearing up the table, and even did so by hand, though Hermione was sure that he used his skills in wandless magic the moment he was out of sight.

His gifts were thoughtful as well: a weekend in Paris in the George V Hotel, with tickets to La Traviata at the Opéra de Paris and a pair of gorgeous diamond and smoky topaz earrings for Hermione. While they were all "oohing" and "ahhing" about them, Severus produced a modest green envelop from his pocket and handed it to Mrs Granger. Her mother started to protest that this was all too much, but, when she opened the envelop, Hermione, for the first time in her life, saw her mother smile broadly with tears falling freely down her face before she threw herself into her son-in-law's arms.

A sheet of paper had flown to the ground and Hermione recognised a distinct Hogwarts crest. Her father read aloud the official invitation to Drs Helen and Jeremy Granger to visit Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on the 3rd of January, the day before the students' arrival.

Hermione had read Hogwarts: A History enough times to know how hard it was to obtain such an invitation. Parents were not normally allowed to visit the school for security reasons. The permission had to be requested by the Head of House, signed by the Head of the School, and approved by the Board of Governors. The fact that Severus went to all that trouble made her heart soar.

Now it was the evening before they were supposed to pick her parents up for their tour, and Hermione stood in front of the trunk, surveying her school robes with distaste. She did not want to wear them. She did not feel like a schoolgirl anymore, and spending the holidays like an adult made her realise how far she had outgrown her peers.

"You could always withdraw from classes and complete your education in the private study," her husband's smooth baritone interrupted her thoughts.

Hermione turned to him in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Of course. It is a perfectly acceptable course of action and has been done many times before. Considering recent changes in the law, I believe it is likely to be a very frequent occurrence in the next few years."

"But that would mean I will not be with my friends."

"You won't be sitting in the same classroom as them," he corrected, "but otherwise nothing would change. You will still reside at Hogwarts and be able to secretly see Potter, as you are doing at the moment." He laughed at the look on her face. "Yes, my dear, I know about your arrangement in the Room of Requirement, but no one else does, so I have to commend you on your discretion."

"We are not doing anything wrong." Hermione's face turned bright red. "We are just talking and having tea. And…"

"I am not jealous, Hermione. If I thought you had more than brotherly feelings for Potter, we would not be conversing like this. I trust that your behaviour will be befitting of my wife, and I will not insist on you abandoning your friend as long as you keep it quiet. Now, do you want me to talk to McGonagall about your switch to private study?"

She thought for a moment. "And who will tutor me?"

"Do you really need to ask? I will provide you with as much help as I can, and I am sure other professors will be happy to advise you as needed."

"All right then, but I will talk to McGonagall myself, if you don't mind."

"As you wish." He inclined his dark head and then walked towards her and pulled her into his arms. "I have a feeling that being a student is not the main thing that bothers you."

Hermione relaxed into his embrace. "I don't want to go back," she muttered into his shoulder. "It's been wonderful to be away from it all. At Hogwarts, I am constantly worried about you and Harry and myself. It was nice to be able to relax."

She could not see his face, and Severus was grateful for that because, even with his perfected skill of hiding emotions, he doubted he would be able to maintain his façade this time. Hermione's words struck him deep because this was exactly what he was thinking himself. If, in Hermione's case, it was fearing of the unknown, he knew exactly what was coming his way. Dark times were ahead for the Wizarding world, and him personally, and, no matter what, his wife would be part of it all.

If running had been an option, Severus would not have hesitated, even if it meant spending the next ten years in hiding. His oaths did not leave him with an option, however. The bond of the Dark Mark was powerful, but it had nothing on the vow that Dumbledore had extracted from him, death being the only source of freedom.

Hermione sighed lightly against him, and Severus pushed his dark thoughts to the back of his mind. He had between five and six months of relative safety left and he was going to enjoy them and make sure that his wife enjoyed herself as much as possible.

He tightened his grasp on her waist. "We don't have to go back yet," he murmured. "Let's enjoy the time we have here."

And enjoy they did. When Hermione was picking up her parents to travel with them to Hogwarts, she was still on cloud nine from a trip to Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen and a bit tired from the vigorous lovemaking that lasted into the early hours of the morning.

She quickly forgot her lack of sleep, with all the excitement of showing Hogwarts to her parents. The Grangers got a full tour. They started with Gryffindor Tower, her dorm, and the common room. Then they went to the library and some of her classrooms, including the Potions dungeons. At the end, they came to the Great Hall, where they met Severus, Dumbledore and some of the other teachers for lunch.

If Hermione was excited about sharing the magical world with her parents, she could see that her mother and father were getting a little overwhelmed by everything around them, especially Helen Granger, always so talkative and confident, who was quieter and a lot more reserved. The Headmaster noticed it as well and suggested that they retire for a coffee in his office.

After everybody was settled with their cups of tea, Dumbledore talked about the curriculum changes by the Ministry and the Board of Governors. Such mundane conversations about the process of running a boarding school somewhat put the Grangers at ease. After half an hour had passed, Hermione's parents were ready to depart.

After saying their goodbyes to the Headmaster, Severus led the way down the spiral staircase. The four of them were already half way there when Helen noticed that she had forgotten her bag. As she was the last coming down the stairs, she quickly rushed back, shouting to the rest of them that she would be back in a moment.

What happened next was a scene from a Hollywood action movie. There was a loud bang and the stairs shook from a powerful explosion. Hermione was thrown back, as were her husband and father, all of them tumbling down in a heap.

Severus's well-trained instincts kicked in, and he had just managed to cast a nonverbal cushioning charm when they crashed into the hard stone. The dark wizard cursed, as he disengaged himself from the other two.

"Hermione, are you hurt?" Although she seemed to look unharmed, Severus was not taking any chances.

The young witch looked visibly shaken. "No, I am fine. Are you?" She clutched his now dusty sleeve.

"Yes, and so is your father." Severus cast a quick diagnostic spell on the Muggle doctor, whose eyes were fixed on the stairs above.

"Helen…" he whispered, and the colour drained from Hermione's face. She rushed to get up but was stopped by her husband.

"You stay here, both of you." Severus's tone allowed no argument. "I will have a look upstairs and call you if it's safe."

Without waiting, he got up and grabbed his wand. Carefully checking the stairs for security, the wizard proceeded around the corner of the spiral staircase that was hiding the entrance to the Headmaster's office. What he saw inside made him cringe.

The office was destroyed by a powerful blast. Dumbledore's desk was a pile of rubble, and, on top of it, like a terrifying grotesque picture, lay the old wizard's head with no sign of the rest of his body.

A painful groan from a corner made Severus raise his wand and rush towards an upturned chair. Behind it he could see a shape of a woman dressed in Muggle clothes.

"Helen!" Severus rushed forward but froze in midstep. Instead of the face of Hermione's mother, he was greeted by a badly burnt but still recognizable aristocratic features that belonged to Narcissa Malfoy.

Blue eyes slowly opened. "Severus…"

The dark wizard sank to his knees. "Cissa, what are you doing here; what have you done?" He started casting diagnostic spells, but the witch in front of him rasped.

"Numbing charms, Severus; it's too late for anything else." Before he could object, she continued, though it was obvious that every word caused her pain, "I did what I had to… Freed you from your oath to me and to him… Now that he's gone, my son does not have to kill him and you don't have to protect Draco… Everybody wins." She breathed a little easier as Severus abandoned his attempts to heal her and cast a numbing spell instead.

"Where is Helen Granger?"

"Your wife's mother is safe. She's sleeping in the cleaning cupboard of her office. I was always good at Polyjuice." A faint smile touched her lips.

Severus could hear the footsteps coming up the stairs, but the woman in front of him was fading with every second. His mind was muddled with questions, but he didn't know what to say. Carefully, he grasped her hand. "Why?" he asked finally. "How?"

"I used a Muggle explosive. Hogwarts defences are not able to detect them, and you taught me enough about the Muggle world to procure what I needed. I could never defeat Albus Dumbledore magically, but it is ironic that the greatest wizard of our time was killed by a simple Muggle bomb." She grimaced in pain, and Severus had to bend down to hear her rushed whisper. "I love you, Severus; always have and always will… I want you to be happy, to live and take care of our son." Blue eyes bore into black ones. "Draco is your son, not Lucius's. Yours… Please take care of him for both of us…"

"Albus!" McGonagall's cry of anguish was not heard by Narcissa Malfoy, as the Slytherin witch was no longer breathing.

**Hello everybody. Long time-no see. Huge apologies for the long delay. I wasn't sure if I get another chapter done at all and I really appreciate all the reviews as they do inspire me to keep writing. This chapter is a bit of a bombshell... hopefully enjoyable one. Reviews are, as always, incredibly welcome.**

**Huge thanks to my Beta - CRMediaGal**


End file.
